LPT 312: Abattoir Practices and Animal Products Technology (1+1)

AFFECTIONS INDUCED BY TRANSPORT

• Transit-fever or shipping fever is a catarrhal disease which affects mainly cattle in poor condition that get fatigued due to long journey by rail or sea without sufficiency of food. It develops due to Pasteurella and requires proper treatment, otherwise virus may act as secondary invader and aggravate the condition. It is common in colder months, on post-mortem lobar pneumonia is noticed, the interlobular septa being some time thickened due to serious infiltration. Acute enteritis is usually present, though spleen appears normal. The affection does not respond well to treatment early slaughter is advisable before the on-set septic lung changes.
• Transit-tetany or rail-road-sickness occurs under similar circumstances but almost invariably in cows, particularly those in advanced pregnancy and in warmer month of the year. It is a disease, which bears resemblance, to milk fever and the affected animals usually respond to calcium therapy. There is no specific post-mortem lesion.
• Stress and fatigue conditions are inevitable sequel to transportation and do have a bearing on meat quality.
• Loss of weight or shrinkage occur due to dehydration and depletion of muscle glycogen during the period of journey. In general, it ranges from 3 to 10 % depending on the conditions and duration of transport.
• Bruises, torn skin and broken bones are noticed due to transportation in most of the species. The instances are particularly high in sheep and pigs. Muscular bleeding may occur especially in pigs.
• Death may occur during long transportation. Sheep and pigs are particularly susceptible if animals of unequal age and size are loaded in road trucks without proper partitions due to suffocation. Sheep and goats could also die in long distance transportation by ship due to non-inflammatory diarrhoea.