| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of the study was to assess prevalence of mastitis and effectiveness of mastitis control in dairy cattle in Mathira constituency. A questionnaire was administered to 76 smallholder farmers to collect data regarding occurrence of mastitis, their current practices in mastitis control, and their knowledge about dairy cow mastitis. Quarter milk samples were collected from lactating cows and screened for mastitis using the California Mastitis Test. Milk samples that tested positive on screening were cultured for isolation of pathogens .
A total of 202 lactating cows were sampled corresponding to 808-quarter milk samples. Data collected was analyzed using Epi Info, Version 6 to generate information regarding occurrence of mastitis and mastitis control. The prevalence of mastitis was 87.4% (n=808) with contagious bacteria pathogens being responsible for 52.2% (n=508) of all the isolates recovered on culture. Most of these contagious isolates were coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, (98.5%), the rest being Streptococcus agalactiae.
Normal teat flora, opportunist and environmental pathogens were responsible for 32.7%, 7.3% and 4.5% of all the isolates respectively. Stimulation (93.4%),prompt and adequate treatment of clinical cases(77.6%) and sanitation(69.7%) were the only measures noted to have been embraced adequately. No one had embraced vaccination as a control measure. Sanitation, use of individual towel, and stimulation were ranked as the most effective having been scored by 39, 24 and 23 respondents respectively. Only 3.9% of the respondents reported to have ever attended an organized training on mastitis control. Concerted effort by all stakeholders is paramount if the war against mastitis in Mathira Constituency is to be won. Of importance the government should initiate active surveillance programme for mastitis to complement the existing farmer reporting passive surveillance. The findings of the present study are significant in promoting mastitis control programmes in the constituency for improved milk yield , dairy cattle productivity and health. | en_US |
