Impact on condemnations of bovine carcasses due to tuberculosis and cysticercosis after changes in federal legislation in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (2014-2020)

Abstract The inspection of products of animal origin, carried out by veterinarian agricultural inspectors, is based on the Brazilian legislation described in the Brazilian Regulation for the Industrial and Sanitary Inspection of Animal Origin Products (RIISPOA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA). Decree No. 9,013, which revokes Decree No. 30,691 of 1952, was published on March 29, 2017, and major changes occurred in the legislation described in RIISPOA, such as the criteria for judging carcasses. This study aimed to verify whether these changes had an impact on the condemnations of bovine carcasses due to tuberculosis and cysticercosis in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, RS, Brazil. The number of slaughtered animals and the number of carcasses condemned due to tuberculosis and cysticercosis from 2014 to 2020 were obtained from the Agricultural Defense System (SDA) database, the official data system of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development (SEAPDR). An increase in the number of cases of carcasses condemned due to cysticercosis and a reduction of animals affected by the disease were observed in the period after changes in the regulation. The number of carcasses condemned due to tuberculosis and the number of animals affected by the disease remained stable after changes in the regulation. The results showed that changes in federal legislation had a real impact on the historical series of condemnations of bovine carcasses due to cysticercosis in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, while the impact of condemnations on carcasses affected by tuberculosis was not significant.