To characterize dairy goat production in mount Kenya region; determination of Prevalence and risk factors of subclinical mastitis, and antibiotic sensitivity of the Isolates

Abstract

Dairy goat production is an emerging enterprise, which has a lot of potential for poverty alleviation, improved nutrition, and increased income for the poor; it can play a role in contribution towards Kenya’s development plan. Inadequate information on risk factors and prevalence of subclinical mastitis with associated antibiotic sensitivity are some of the challenges facing this industry. This study was carried out on dairy goats kept under zero grazing system in Mount Kenya region, from January 2012 to December 2012; the following were the objectives: (1) To characterize dairy goat production in Mount Kenya region (2) To determine the prevalence and risk factors of subclinical mastitis in lactating goats in Mount Kenya region (3) To isolate, characterize and determine antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria causing the subclinical mastitis. This was a cross sectional study conducted in three counties (Meru, Nyeri, Embu) all located in Mount Kenya region. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to farmers and stakeholders to collect data on dairy goat background and risk factors associated with intramammary infection (subclinical mastitis). A total of 310 lactating goats were randomly selected from populations in the three counties and screened for bacterial carriage, as evidence of subclinical mastitis. Six hundred and twenty (620) milk samples from the 310 goats (right and left quarters) were aseptically collected; first screened using California Mastitis Test (CMT), then cultured for bacterial isolation and characterization. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was also performed on the isolated bacteria