Public Health, Hygiene Practices, and Zoonotic Disease Vectors in Peri-Urban Slaughter Facilities: An Observational Case Study of Karu Abattoir, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

Abstract

Abattoirs serve as critical intersections between animal husbandry, food safety, occupational safety, and environmental health. In rapidly growing peri-urban centers across sub-Saharan Africa, regulatory compliance and sanitary controls in animal processing facilities often fail to keep pace with demand. To evaluate the operational structure, sanitation protocols, meat inspection procedures, waste management practices, and occupational safety measures at the Karu Abattoir in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. An observational field study was conducted to examine operational workflows across key functional units: lairage, slaughterhouse, waste disposal systems, meat handling and storage areas, emergency facilities, and diagnostic services. Direct observations and qualitative assessments were documented regarding sanitary conditions, veterinary inspection practices, and parasite/disease identification during processing. Critical operational deficiencies were observed across all units. In the lairage, animals were routinely slaughtered without undergoing the recommended minimum 12-hour pre-slaughter rest period, and ante-mortem inspection was inconsistently applied. In the slaughterhouse, processing frequently occurred on bare floors due to a lack of functional carcass hoisting/hanging systems. Post-mortem examination of visceral organs was sporadic. Zoonotic and parasitic pathogens identified during evisceration included Cysticercosis (larval Taenia spp.), Fascioliasis (Fasciola spp.), and Ascaris spp. Waste management was non-compliant with standard environmental health protocols: untreated liquid waste containing blood and fecal material was directly discharged into a contiguous river, solid waste was open-dumped, and drainage channels remained blocked. There was a complete absence of dedicated cold storage facilities, on-site laboratory diagnostic infrastructure, and functional first-aid/emergency medical units for workers or animals. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) compliance among meat handlers and butchers was negligible. The operations at Karu Abattoir present significant public health risks, including potential zoonotic transmission, foodborne pathogen exposure, environmental pollution, and occupational injury. Immediate structural upgrades, mandatory implementation of cold storage and hoisting equipment, construction of effluent treatment infrastructure, and enforcement of veterinary public health regulations are urgently needed.