Cost-effectiveness of beef slaughterhouse decontamination measures in the Netherlands.

摘要

The cost-effectiveness of seven decontamination measures to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 (VTEC)-contaminated carcass quarters in a typical Dutch dairy-beef industrial slaughterhouse were explored. To estimate the effectiveness a stochastic epidemiological-simulation model was used and to estimate the net cost a deterministic-economic model. The estimated baseline prevalence of daily-contaminated quarters was 9.16% (with a 90% confidence interval 4.40-13.10%). A reduction in the prevalence of VTEC-contaminated quarters to 2% using decontamination measures is achieved at costs of Euro 0.20 to Euro 0.50 per quarter, which is 16-40% of the net profit per carcass. A reduction to a prevalence of 1% will cost Euro 0.50-Euro 11.00 per quarter. Additional carcass trim and carcass steam-pasteurization are considered as the most cost-effective decontamination measures with costs of Euro 16 340 and Euro 20 243 per year to achieve a 1% prevalence reduction. Nevertheless, the lowest level of VTEC prevalence, less than 1%, is achieved using a set of measures that costs between Euro 1.00 and Euro 2.00 per quarter or, by implementing irradiation, which costs Euro 4.65 per quarter..