الفهرس 
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Abstract
A grand of 90 random surface swabs of sheep carcasses from the top side of hind quarter were collected from three different abattoirs in Gharbia governorate (30 of each) to be examined to evaluate their fungal quality.
The obtained results indicated that the incidences of mould contamination in the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses were 86.67 %, 96.67 % and 83.33 % for Tanta abattoir, El-Mahalla abattoir, and Kafr El-Zayat abattoir, respectively. Furthermore, the total mould count /cm2 in the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses with an average of 4.31×103± 0.69 ×103 for Tanta abattoir., 2.72×102± 0.44×102 for El-Mahalla abattoir and 2.10×102± 0.38×102 for Kafr El-Zayat abattoir. Totally, 88.89 % of the examined surface swabs contaminated with mould with a mean value of 1.45×103± 0.31×103 /cm2.
Accurately, Aspergillus, Clodosporium, Fusarium Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Sporotricum, and Trichoderma species were isolated from 46.67 %, 6.67%, 10.00 %, 3.33 %, 30.00 %, 3.33 %, 6.67% and 6.67 % of the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses at Tanta abattoir, respectively. Furthermore, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillum, Rhizopus, Sporotricum and Thamnidium species were isolated from 36.67 %, 3.33 %, 3.33 %, 26.67 %, 10 %, 16.67 % and 6.67 % of the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses at El-Mahalla abattoir. However, Penicillium spp. was detected at the highest percentage (43.33 %) followed by Aspergillus spp. (30 %), Mucor spp. (3.33 %), Nigrospora spp. (3.33 %), Sporotricum spp. (10 %), Thamnidium spp. (6.67 %) and Trichoderma spp. (3.33 %) for the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses at Kafr El-Zayat abattoir.
While, Aspergillus species isolated from the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses in Tanta abattoir were A. flavus (detected at the highest percentage 20 %), followed by A. fumigatus (10 %), A. niger (6.67%), A. nidulans, A. ochraceus, and A.terreus (3.33 % for each). Furthermore, A. flavus, A. niger, A. ochraceus, A. fumigatus and A. terreus at percentages of 16.67 %, 6.67 %, 6.67 %, 3.33 % and 3.33 % for El-Mahalla abattoir, respectively. However, A. flavus (10 %), A. niger (10 %), A. terreus (6.67 %) and A. nidulans (3.33 %) were isolated from the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses at Kafr El-Zayat abattoir.
The incidences of aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolated from the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses were 16.67 %, 10 % and 6.67 % for Tanta abattoir, El-Mahalla abattoir, and Kafr El-Zayat abattoir, respectively.
The average concentrations of aflatoxin B1 (μg/L) extracted from the toxigenic strains of A. flavus isolated from the examined surface swabs of sheep carcasses were 41.69 ± 2.53 for Tanta abattoir, 32.80 ± 2.14 for El-Mahalla abattoir and 26.85 ± 1.79 for Kafr El-Zayat abattoir. While, the average concentrations of aflatoxin B2 (μg/L) were 18.13 ± 1.45 for Tanta abattoir, 17.21 ± 1.08 for El-Mahalla abattoir and 11.53 ± 0.94 for Kafr El-Zayat abattoir. Results achieved for the average concentrations of aflatoxin G1 (μg/L) were 25.92 ± 2.07 for Tanta abattoir, 18.58 ± 1.72 for El-Mahalla abattoir and 14.56 ± 1.14 for Kafr El-Zayat abattoir. The average concentrations of aflatoxin G2 (μg/L) were for Tanta abattoir, ± 0 for Kafr El-Zayat abattoir.
Public health significance and the possible sources of fungal contamination of sheep carcasses at abattoir level, as well as some recommendations to improve the quality of such food articles were discussed.