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1 June 2006 SURVEILLANCE FOR SELECTED BACTERIAL AND TOXICOLOGIC CONTAMINANTS IN DONATED CARCASS MEAT FED TO CARNIVORES
Tara M. Harrison, Scott H. Harrison, Wilson K. Rumbeiha, James Sikarskie, Modesto McClean
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Wildlife Safari, a zoo located in Winston, Oregon, has fed donated carcass meat as a diet to carnivores for over 30 yr. Carcass meat is an alternative to commercially prepared meat. Donated meat arrives at Wildlife Safari as an entire animal. Cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) have been donated. Bacterial testing was performed on site with the use of Neogen Reveal® immunosorbent assays. Testing focused on Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Twenty-five meat samples were randomly selected from 50 meat samples for the bacterial detection tests. Twenty-eight percent of the meat samples were positive for Salmonella spp. (n = 25). One sample was positive for Listeria spp. None of the meat samples were positive for Escherichia coli O157:H7 (n = 25). Thirty-two meat samples were analyzed off site for organic contaminants with the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at Michigan State University's Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Specific organic contaminants tested for were barbiturates, phenylbutazone, flunixin meglumine, and xylazine. None of the meat samples were found to have evidence of these or any other common organic toxicants. As monitored, carcass meat appears to be a reasonably safe food source for carnivores.

Tara M. Harrison, Scott H. Harrison, Wilson K. Rumbeiha, James Sikarskie, and Modesto McClean "SURVEILLANCE FOR SELECTED BACTERIAL AND TOXICOLOGIC CONTAMINANTS IN DONATED CARCASS MEAT FED TO CARNIVORES," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 37(2), 102-107, (1 June 2006). https://doi.org/10.1638/05-022.1
Received: 7 March 2005; Published: 1 June 2006
KEYWORDS
Carcass feeding
carnivore
diet
Escherichia coli O157:H7
Listeria
Salmonella
toxicology
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