الفهرس 
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Abstract
A total of 275 swab samples (75 each of neck,.outside of the thorax and thigh, beside 50 swabs from the innerside of the thorax) were taken from the surface of 25 mutton carcasses slaughtered at Sharkia abattoirs at successive stages of preparation (directly after skinning, after preparation and at the butcher’ shops). Collected samples were well identified and transferred without undue delay to the laboratory where they were bacteriologically examined.
The mean of aerobic plate counts/cm2 of neck, outside of thorax and thigh surfaces after skinning were 45x104, 1 1x104 and 51x103 organisms/cm2 respectively, while they were 17x105, 51x104, 23x104
and 19x104 organisms/cm2 of examined surfaces of neck, outer and inner sides of the thorax and thigh after preparation respectively.
On the other hand such counts were 34x105, 22.3x105, 64x104 and
76x104 organisms/cm2 of the examined samples after deliverying to butcher’ shops respectively.
Concerning, the enterobacteriaceae count, the mean counts were
25x103, 17x103 and 22x102 organisms/cm2 in examined samples of neck, outside of the thorax and thigh after skinning respectively. Whereas such counts were 74x103, 33x103, 27x103 and 21x103 organisms/cm2 of examined neck, outerside and innerside of the thorax and thigh surfaces after preparation respectively. At the same time, they were 21x104, 12x104, 15x104 and 11.2x104 organisms/cm2 of previously examined samples of butcher’ shops respectively.
Streptococcus faeclis, streptococcus intermediate and streptococcus faecium were also isolated in examined surfaces of neck, outside and innerside of the thorax beside the thigh of mutton carcasses after skinning, after preparation as well as at butcher’ shops.
Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus could be counted with an average of 8x102, 1.5x102 and 2x102 organisms/cm2 of examined neck, outside of the thorax and thigh surfaces after skinning, while it was 19x102, 3.4x102, 1 x102 and 3x102 organisms/cm2 of formerly examined surfaces after preparation respectively.
At butcher’ shops the mean value for examined surfaces for
staphylococcus aureus were 4x103, 3.8x103, 2x102 and 22.2x102
organisms/cm2 for neck outer and inner side of thorax and thigh respectively.
Escerechia soli, klebsiella aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Citrobacter diverses, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus merabilis and Proteus rettegari could be isolated from examined surfaces at different stages of preparation with varying percentages ranged from 4-40%. The public health importance of isolated organisms as well as the
suggested measures for improving the quality of mutton carcasses were discussed.