FOOD SAFETY AND REGULATORY ASPECTS OF CATTLE AND SWINE CYSTICERCOSIS

Using slaughter disposition data maintained by the Food Safety and Ins pection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, prevalen ce of cattle cysticercosis (Cysticercus bovis) for a 10-year period fr om 1985 through 1994 is reported. Out of an annual average of approxim ately 33 million slaughtered cattle, about 6,200 carcasses were identi fied with cysticercus lesions. In the five FSIS inspection regions in the United States, namely Western, Southwestern, Northeastern, Southea stern, and North Central, an average cattle cysticercosis prevalence o f 0.0697, 0.0085, 0.0012, 0.0003, and 0.0003, respectively, is reporte d. The relevance of serological testing in lieu of, or as a supplement to. the current labor-intensive physical detection procedure in cattl e is discussed, the latter being reported to miss close to one-third o f the carcasses harboring cysticercus lesions. Out of a total of appro ximately 80 million swine slaughtered annually in the United States, t he number of carcasses identified with cysticercus lesions (Cysticercu s cellulosae) is extremely low, ranging from 1 through 44 during each of the 10 years. Swine cysticercosis (unlike cattle cysticercosis), wi th man being an alternate intermediate host, poses serious public heal th concerns with sometimes fatal consequences manifested through neuro cysticercosis (Cysticercus cellulosae). Though human cysticercosis is still ran in the United States, recent reports have indicated an uptur n in diagnosed cases. These are primarily the result of an increasing number of immigrants and international travel to and from endemic area s.