Abattoir surveillance of Sarcocystis spp., Cysticercosis ovis and Echinococcus granulosus in Tasmanian slaughter sheep, 2007-2013.

Reasons for the significant between-abattoir differences in recorded levels of ovine sarcosporidiosis and cysticercosis remain unknown, but may represent sampling bias, with subsets of slaughter sheep going to abattoirs with different tiers or access to markets. Further investigation into apparent differences, including epidemiological studies of properties with high lesion prevalence, comparing meat inspector diagnostic sensitivity, assessing the effect of line speed and tiers and market access in different abattoirs, may be useful.