Cellulitis in broiler chickens: epidemiological trends, meat hygiene, and possible human health implications

The present work evaluates trends in the incidence of cellulitis during the last decade using Canadian National Poultry Condemnation Records. In 1986, only 0.048% of the total slaughter broilers were condemned as a result of cellulitis lesions. Over the next 10 yr, steady increments in cellulitis condemnations were observed, and between 1986 and 1996, the percentage of cellulitis condemnation increased 11.8-fold. In 1996, more than 2.6 million broilers (0.568% of total slaughter) were condemned due to cellulitis; this constituted 30.1% of total condemnations, making it the number one condemnation category in 1996. In the context of dynamic increase in cellulitis, the problems concerning meat hygiene and possible health risk to the consumer are deliberated.