Unexplained bacterial meat spoilage during the moose hunting in northern Norway – a review of cases 2008–2021

Table 4 Results of cultivation of bacteria from samples^a of spoiled moose meat

Sample No.	1	2		3		4		5		6	7	8		9	10	11	12	13
Shot (date)	08.10. 2008	12.10. 2008		02.10. 2009		12.10. 2009		07.09. 2010		06.09. 2011	06.10. 2011	11.10. 2011		28.09. 2015	2015	25.9. 2020	27.9. 2020	27.9. 2020
County	Fi	Fi		Fi		Tro		Fi		Fi	Fi	Fi		No	?	Tro	Tro	Tro
ID in Additional file 1 (only from Finnmark)	3	Not registered		16		-		22		29	34	35		-	-	-	-	-
Meat spoilage detected (days after shooting)	5	4		1		7		3		2	?	1		?	?	3	1	3
Sample received (days after shooting)	8	10		11		8		7		8	5	7		10	?	11	9	30
Pre-analysis handling	?	Frozen		Frozen		Delivered directly to lab		Mail with cooling		Mail without cooling	Mail without cooling	Express mail with cooling		Delivered directly to lab	Delivered directly to lab	Kept cool, delivered directly to lab		Frozen
Sub-samples /sample sites		Green^c	Fresh^c	Spoiled	Control^d	Spoiled	Control^d	Spoiled	Control^d			Spoiled	Control^e
Mixed aerobe bacteria	+	+++	-	-	-	+++	-	+++	+	+++	(+)	+++	++	++	++	++	+++	++
*E. coli*	+					+++				+++		+++	++	++	++
*Serratia* sp.		+++
*Pseudomonas* sp.	+	+++								+++	N. e.			N. e.	N. e.	N. e.	N. e.	N. e.
Gram positive cocci ^b		+++				+++		+++									+++
*Clostridium perfringens*						+++			+	+++		+++
Swarming *Clostridium* sp.		+++	++	+++		+++		+++		+++	+++	+++		+++^f		+++	+++^g
Indole reaction of *Clostridium* sp. isolates		Pos	Pos	Pos		Pos		Pos		Pos	Not tested	Pos and neg		Neg		Pos	Pos

^a Samples received at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Tromsø. The samples originate from the three northernmost counties in Norway: Nordland (No), Troms (Tro) and Finnmark (Fi) in the years 2008–2020
(+), single colonies; +, sparse; ++, moderate; +++, rich or dominating;
N. e., Not examined (not cultured at 20 °C); Pos, positive; Neg, negative; ?, unknown
^b Gram positive cocci includes Micrococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp. and alfa-haemolytic Streptococcus sp
^c Two different sample sites, one with greenish discolouration, the other with fresh colour
^d Control samples taken from macroscopically unaffected parts of the carcass
^e Control sample from a different animal, shot the same day, treated in the same manner, not spoiled
^f Identified as Clostridium septicum
^g Identified as Clostridium sordellii

ISSN: 1751-0147