Internal parasites in sheep at slaughter: a burden on the sheep meat industry?

Jacobson, C. and Besier, R.B. (2006) Internal parasites in sheep at slaughter: a burden on the sheep meat industry? In: Australian Sheep Industry CRC Conference, Orange, Australia.

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Abstract

Scouring (diarrhoea) in sheep is an important issue for the sheep meat industry. Soiled fleeces are a significant source of carcase contamination with microbes that include human pathogens and microorganisms that cause meat spoilage (Newton et al, 1978) and scouring is the major risk factor for fleece soiling (French and Morgan. 1996). However, there is little information regarding the causes of scouring in sheep at slaughter. Strongyle worm infections are a commonly implicated cause of scouring, reduced wool production, poor growth rates and reduced bodyweight with young sheep being particularly susceptible (Besier, 2004). However, there is no published data quantifying strongyle infections or scouring in sheep at abattoirs. This study aimed to investigate the extent of strongyle infections and any association with scouring in sheep at an abattoir in Western Australia.