title: Milk Hygiene in Rural Southwestern Uganda: Prevalence of Mastitis and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacterial Contaminants of Milk and Milk Products.
abstract: Mastitis and antimicrobial resistance are a big challenge to the dairy industry in sub-Saharan Africa. A study was conducted in Kashongi and Keshunga subcounties of Kiruhura District (in Uganda) where the government and private sector have deliberate programs to improve production efficiency, quality, and safety of milk and its products. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of mastitis, its common causative agents, antimicrobial sensitivity of mastitis causing organisms, and contaminants of processed milk products: yoghurt and ghee. Seventy-one milk, fourteen yoghurt, and three ghee samples were collected from nine farms. Of the 71 cows tested, 54 (76.1%) had mastitis. The mastitis cases from Keshunga were 32 (59.3%) and Kashongi contributed 22 (40.7%) of the cases. The common mastitis causative agents wereStaphylococcusspp. (30.8%),Streptococcusspp. (12.3%),Corynebacteriumspp.(15.4%), andE. coli(7.7%). Some of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline and penicillin. Prevalent contaminants of yoghurt wereStaphylococcusspp. (8.3%),Streptococcusspp. (8.3%),Corynebacteriumspp. (8.3%), andE. coli(8.3%), whereas all ghee containedStreptococcusspp. (100%). Prevalence of mastitis, antimicrobial resistance, and contamination of milk products are high in the study area. Targeted programs to prevent and control mastitis as well as antibiotic resistance are recommended.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University Kampala, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ssajjakambwe
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bahizi
authors.affiliation: MTK Uganda Ltd., P.O. Box 924, Nasser Road, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Setumba
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University Kampala, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Stevens M B
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kisaka
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University Kampala, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vudriko
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences & Special Education, Africa Renewal University (AfRU), P.O. Box 35138, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Collins
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atuheire
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, Makerere University Kampala, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: John David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kabasa
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Epidemiology, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson Rd., Room A-109, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: John B
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1132-4839
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kaneene