Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T14:23:00.279Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Time series analysis of the prevalence of Ascaris suum infections in pigs using abattoir condemnation data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

E. A. Goodall
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Biometrics Division, Newforge Lane, Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5PX
E. M. McLoughlin
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Biometrics Division, Newforge Lane, Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5PX
F. D. Menzies
Affiliation:
Veterinary Research Laboratories, Stoney Road, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SD
S. G. Mcllroy
Affiliation:
Veterinary Research Laboratories, Stoney Road, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SD
Get access

Abstract

In most regions of the world, condemnations of porcine livers are almost always due to parasitic Ascaris suum infections. Thus, accurate data for all abattoirs in a region will reflect the prevalence of this disease in the pig population of that region. In Northern Ireland, a computerized information database retrieval system for abattoir data has been available since 1986. The information recorded by the system details the specific cause and location of all condemnations in cattle, sheep and pigs for all abattoirs in Northern Ireland since 1969. In this paper, results of analysis of a subset of these data (1969 to 1989) for pigs is presented and a univariate time series model identified for the recorded prevalence of condemnations due to cirrhotic lesions in pig livers. The results of the analysis demonstrate a very highly significant upward trend in the occurrence of Ascaris suum infections. The residual terms for the model were correlated with the corresponding time series of all the key meteorological variables. The association between the level of lesions and the mean level of air temperature over the early summer period is highlighted. The overall proportion of variation accounted for in the time series of the annual level of cirrhotic condemnations was 96%.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akaike, H. 1978. Applied time series analysis. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Box, G. E. P. and Jenkins, G. M. 1970. Time series analysis, forecasting and control. Holden-Day, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Chatfield, C. 1989. The analysis of time series. 4th ed. Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
Connan, R. M. 1977. Ascariasis: the development of eggs of Ascaris suum under the conditions prevailing in a pig house. Veterinary Record 100: 421422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gracey, J. F. 1986. Meat hygiene. 8th ed., p. 435. Bailliere Tindall, Eastbourne.Google Scholar
Kendall, M. G. and Stuart, A. 1966. The advanced theory of statistics, vol. 3. 4th ed. Griffin, London.Google Scholar
Leman, A. D., Straw, B., Glock, R. D., Mengling, W. L., Penny, R. H. and Schol, L. 1986. Diseases of swine. 6th ed., pp. 646664. Iowa State University Press, Ames, la.Google Scholar
Mcllroy, S. G., Goodall, E. A., Stewart, D. A. and McCracken, R. M. 1988. An integrated computerised data analysis system for the evaluation of diseases in production animal populations. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 3:147156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mcllroy, S. G., Goodall, E. A., Stewart, D. A. and McCracken, R. M. 1990. Investigating the epidemiology of diseases using a computerised system for slaughterhouse condemnation data. Irish Veterinary Journal 43: 3639.Google Scholar
Soulsby, E. J. 1982. Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domesticated animals. 7th ed., pp. 143148. Bailliere Tindall, London.Google Scholar
Stevenson, P. 1979. The influence of environmental temperature on the rate of development of Ascaris suum eggs in Great Britain. Research in Veterinary Science 27: 193196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, D. A. 1969. A computer system for processing inspection data for animals slaughtered for human consumption in abattoirs in Northern Ireland. Record of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture Northern Ireland 18:117124.Google Scholar
Taylor, D. J. 1989. Pig diseases. 5th ed., pp. 185187. Burlington Press, Cambridge.Google ScholarPubMed
Urquhart, G. M., Armour, J. and Duncan, J. L. 1987. Veterinary parasitology, pp. 6567. Longman, London.Google Scholar