| dc.description.abstract | Camel milk is one of major food components for the pastoralists in North-Eastern Province, Kenya. This milk is widely marketed in the Garissa and Wajir districts and is currently being sold in distant markets in Nairobi and other far places. The demand for camel milk is thus fast growing, necessitating the need to establish safety level for the milk; more so since these people have a traditional preference for raw milk. The casual way that farmers and traders in Garissa and Wajir districts handle milk exposes the milk to contamination along the market chain. This is more so considering that milk is a very nutritious medium; readily supporting growth of microorganisms. Other managemental practices, like tying of camel teats with a soft bark as an effort to prevent the calf from suckling, may contribute to the development of mastitis in the camels. This study was, therefore, geared towards establishing the safety of camel milk, through establishment of extent of subclinical mastitis, incidences of brucellosis and factors responsible for camel milk contamination in the two districts. The main objectives of the investigations were: (1) to collect baseline data on socio-economic practises of the respective people, (2) to establish the extent of subclinical mastitis in the two areas, (3) to determine milk quality and bacterial contamination along market chain, and (4) to check for occurrence of brucellosis in the camels. This study was cross-sectional, conducted on livestock grazing units, watering points and along market chains within the two districts. The methods used included: participatory approaches, questionnaire administration, and laboratory analysis (physical, bacteriological and serological) using standard methods. From questionnaire analysis, the main reason for keeping camels was for economic, domestic and socio-cultural purposes, like selling of milk and meat to make money. Camels were also kept as draft animals, and as a sign of wealth. Farmers kept more female adults than males and growers. They preferred to drink raw milk apart from it being a traditional preference, they believed that the milk was nutritious and a source of vitamin C. They also preferred to consume sour milk. They were aware of the various diseases affecting their camels, listing diarrhoea, camel pox, brucellosis and mastitis as the common ones. Sick animals were treated by owners or herdsmen using conventional medicine or herbs. Milk from mastitic and treated camels was given to calves, some sold and some consumed; although most of it was poured off. The farmers also kept other animals – cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys and chickens – all were grazed together in the rangelands and watered at the common points. There was, therefore, a high chance of spread of diseases, like mastitis and brucellosis, among the animals. The farmers practised dry hand-milking and kept the milk in traditional gourds, some of which are difficult to clean properly. Using California Mastitis Test, 61.2% of the samples were positive for subclinical mastitis; All the milk samples also yielded mixed types of bacteria on culture, which included Staphylococcus (90.1%), Streptococcus (84.9%), Escherichia (59.9%), Klebsiella/ Enterobacter (95.8%) and Bacillus (45.8%). Both direct smear and culture did not demonstrate presence of Brucella organisms.
On establishment of milk quality, apart from specific bacterial isolations, as given above, Total Coliform Counts ranged between 1.3x106-1.9x108 coliform forming units (cfu)/ml and Total Viable Bacterial Counts ranged between 1.2x106-1.6x108 cfu/ml. Sixteen E. coli isolates were sero-typed, of which one tested positive for serotype O157:H7; this is significant considering the fact that the organism multiplies very fast and could easily attain infective levels. Overall, assessment of physical characteristics showed that 289 samples (75.3%) had gross dirt/particulate matter including grass/leaves, sand/soil particles and/or black charcoal particles. Thirty four samples had abnormal yellowish colour. Generally formation of flakes in the Alcohol test was recorded in 128 samples (33.3%), indicating they were either acidic, mastitic or colostrum milk. Seventy samples (18.2%) had offensive/bad odour/smell (sour or foul smell). Generally, results of pH determination of the milk samples indicated that 119 of them (31.0%) had a pH of ―6‖, 203 (52.9%) had a pH of ―7‖ and 62 samples (16.2%) had a pH of ―8‖. The range of specific gravity of the tested samples was between 1.019 gm/litre to 1.032 gm/litre; this gives an indication of adulteration with water since the mean specific gravity of normal camel milk is 1.0305 gm/litre. Thus, so far, the study indicated that milk samples from the two study areas were substantially contaminated by both physical substances and bacteria, either at the farm or along the market chain .However Resazurin test, which is an indicator of microbial load/quality of milk, demonstrated 72.4%of the tested camel milk samples as being of good quality. Much as direct smear and culture did not demonstrate presence of Brucella organisms, as given above, 15.4% of the samples tested positive using Milk Ring Test, while 52.2% tested positive using a combination of Rose Bengal Plate Test, Tube Agglutination Test and Complement Fixation Test. This study has, therefore, confirmed presence of camel brucellosis in North-Eastern Province;. In view of the above findings, with respect to Garissa ans Wajir districts, it is concluded that there is need to create awareness on subclinical mastitis and brucellosis in camels, and to implement respective control measures. In order to minimise milk contamination, the farmers need to be trained on good milking practices, proper milk storage and transport systems. The Government needs also to intervene and facilitate the famers to attain milk safety | en_US |
