Avaliação macroscópica, histopatológica e bacteriológica de fígados de frangos (Gallus gallus) condenados no abate pela inspeção sanitária

Abstract

Gross, microscopic, and bacteriologic evaluation of broiler livers condemned by the Federal Inspection Service of Animal Products was performed. One hundred broiler livers were sampled at slaughter. Ninety of them had gross changes and 10 of them were grossly normal. The sampling was done in two slaughter houses located in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. One of these two places slaughters 120,000 broilers/day, and the other one slaughters over 300,000 broilers/day. For the gross evaluation, the considered parameters were shape, color, size, texture, odor, and the presence of other visible lesions. The color of the liver was considered as the main gross change. Livers with gross changes in color, shape, size and/or texture were 47/90; brown-pale livers with other associated macroscopic lesions were 19/90; yellow or yellowish livers with other associated gross changes were 5/90; and green or greenish livers with other associated lesions were 19/90. The microscopic (morphologic) diagnoses consisted of multifocal heterophilic colangio-hepatitis, degeneration and/or centrilobular to bridging hepatic cellular necrosis, random necrotizing hepatitis, multifocal heterophylic pericolangitis and other unspecific changes. The bacteriological evaluation was leaded to the search of Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. and Staphylococcus sp. It was utilized direct culture of the liver samples in selective culture midias. E. coli was isolated in 26/100 samples and Staphylococcus sp. in 24/100 samples, regardless the morphologic diagnosis. For the Salmonella sp. search it was used the conventional method indicated by the Department of Agriculture, however, there was no isolation of any bacteria of the Salmonella genus. The main gross and microscopic lesions were compatible with bacterial infections. It is concluded that the criteria for visceral condemnation used by the sanitary inspection was appropriated and efficient in the detection and elimination of the livers with potential infectious hazard.