ABSTRACT We assessed the views, knowledge, and attitudes of livestock inspectors working in federally inspected slaughterhouses in southern Brazil, the major pig and poultry processors in the country, regarding farm animal behavior and welfare, and factors that may influence animal welfare improvements at abattoirs. An online questionnaire with closed and open questions was sent to all the federally inspected slaughterhouses in the three states of the region. All respondents (n = 83) strongly agreed that animals are capable of feeling pain, but fewer agreed that animals have mental states and individual temperament, or that animals can feel boredom or frustration. In the assessment of respondents, professionals in Brazil receive insufficient training in animal welfare; most believe that stockpeople do not understand the relationship between animal welfare and meat quality. Furthermore, most respondents believe that stockpeople are not satisfied with their working conditions at slaughterhouses and are not motivated to adopt practices to improve animal welfare. Respondents reported positive attitudes towards animal welfare but insufficient understanding and training on animal welfare during professional education. The three main actions that, according to the respondents, are required to successfully implement humane slaughter in Brazil are better selection and greater valorization of the stockpeople by the industry; refinements of the legislation to indicate minimum and maximum standards for specific species, practices, and outcomes; and introduction of animal welfare as a topic during the professional training of professionals that will oversee and support the implementation of humane practices in slaughterhouses.

Dois mil cento e dezenove bovinos adultos pertencentes a 156 propriedades leiteiras distribuídas em 22 localizadas do município de Passo Fundo foram testados para tuberculose bovina (TB) e brucelose bovina (BB). A prevalência de anticorpos contra o vírus da diarréia viral bovina (BVDV), vírus da leucose enzoótica bovina (BLV) e herpesvírus bovino tipo 1 (BHV-1) foi estimada por amostragem aleatória em 28 dessas propriedades. Para tanto, considerou-se prevalência acima de 30% para essas infecções e intervalo de confiança de 90%, e sorteou-se 204 amostras de soro sangüíneo. Entre os 2.119 animais testados, 32 (1,51%) foram positivos para TB e 26 (1,22%) foram positivos para BB. Os exames sorológicos dos animais pertencentes às 28 propriedades indicaram animais positivos para BHV-1, BVDV e BLV em 22 (92,85%), 19 (67,85%) e 17 (60,71%) propriedades, respectivamente; 11 (39,28%) propriedades apresentaram animais soropositivos tanto para BHV-1, BVDV e BLV; em 1 (3,57%) propriedade apenas todos os animais eram soronegativos para essas infecções.

Two thousand one hundred and nineteen bovines belonging to 156 dairy herds distributed among 22 counties in Passo Fundo, RS, were tested for bovine tuberculosis (BT) and bovine brucellosis (BB). The prevalence of antibodies to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), enzootic bovine leukemia virus (BLV) and bovine herpesvirus (BHV-1) was estimated by random sampling in 28 properties; considering a prevalence of infection of at least 30% and a confidence interval of 90%, 204 serum samples were tested. Among de 2119 bovines, 32 (1.51%) were positive for TB and 26 (1.22%) were positive for BB. The serological tests of the animals belonging to the 28 herds indicated the presence of antibodies to BHV-1, BVDV and BLV in 22 (92.35%), 19 (67.35%) and 17 (60.71%) herds, respectively; 11 (39.28%) properties had animals positive to BHV-1, BVDV and BLV, and in only 1 (3.57%) herd all animals tested were negative to these infections.

Com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência de anticorpos contra o pneumovírus aviário, foram coletadas 960 amostras de soro sangüíneo de 48 lotes de frangos de corte (20 amostras/lote). Os lotes analisados eram provenientes de 23 municípios da região do Planalto Médio. A detecção de anticorpos contra o pneumovírus foi feita através de um ensaio imunoenzimáticos comercial (ELISA). Entre as amostras analisadas, somente 5 (0,52%) foram consideradas positivas para a presença de anticorpos contra o pneumovírus aviário. As amostras positivas encontravam-se em 5 (10,4%) dos 48 lotes analisados e em 5 (21,74%) municípios distintos. Considerando-se o baixo número de aves reagentes, pode-se especular que, na região estudada, não há pneumovírus aviário e que os frangos positivos poderiam ser considerados “reatores únicos”.

Aiming to detect antibodies to avian pneumovirus, 960 serum samples were collected from 48 chicken broiler flocks (20 samples per flock) pertaining to 23 counties in the Planalto Médio Region of RS. Antibodies were detected using a commercially available ELISA. Among the samples analyzed, only 5 (0.52%) were considered positive to the presence of antibodies to avian pneumovirus. The positive samples were detected in 5 (10.4%) of the 48 flock studied, and in 5 (21.74%) distinct counties. Considering the low rate of reacting samples, it could be speculated that the region studied might be free of avian pneumovirus and that the positive samples could be considered as single reactors.