Health and economic burden of pathological lesions in livers and lungs of slaughtered sheep at Mosul Abattoir, Iraq

BACKGROUND: Slaughterhouses can provide valuable information about animal diseases and their epidemiology. OBJECTIVES: The current study was designed to examine the health and economic burden of pathological lesions in livers and lungs of slaughtered sheep at Mosul abattoir, Iraq. METHODS: Mosul abattoir records for sheep slaughtered between 2011 and 2013 were considered for inclusion in this study. The direct financial loss due to liver and lung lesions was estimated considering the average number of slaughtered sheep per year, the average percentage of liver lesions per year, and the average percentage of lung lesions per year. Monetary values of the liver and lung were obtained from local butcheries. RESULTS: The analysis indicated that the percentage of lesions observed in the liver and lung per year was 6.9% and 5.8%, respectively. Hydatid cyst followed by hepatitis was the most frequent lesions identified in the liver, while pneumonia then hydatid cyst were detected in the lung, followed by worms, abscess, and miscellaneous lesions. Hydatid cyst was the most frequently observed lesions. The average total loss was 35,232 USD per year (mostly due to liver lesions), with ±7046 USD sensitivity to the price change. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of lesions observed in the liver and lung per year is not negligible and can cause considerable economic losses.