Abstract
Background and Aim: The camel is an important livestock in the semi-arid, arid and desert regions. The study was carried out to determine the level of bacterial contamination and factors associated with total bacterial count and coliform contamination along the camel milk chain in Isiolo County, Kenya.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between February and March 2024 and milk samples were collected along the milk value chain. Milk samples were collected from farmers, transporters, milk bulkers, and retailers. The samples were assessed for total viable bacterial counts (TVBC) and total coliform counts (TCC), on the plate count agar and violet lactose bile agar.
Results: A total of 191 samples were collected, 42.93% from producers, 24.08% from traders, 19.9% from bulkers, and 13.09% from transporters. Total Viable Count (TVC) showed that 34.55% of samples had moderate contamination (between 10³ CFU/ml and 10⁵ CFU/ml), while 23.04% exhibited severe contamination levels (above 10⁶ CFU/ml). For Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) testing, 46.60% of the samples exceeded the threshold of 1000 CFU/ml of milk, indicating significant bacterial contamination, while 29.84% showed no bacterial growth. Logistic regression identified factors associated with increased contamination as female respondents, urban location, and use of disinfectants.
Conclusion: The study showed that there was moderate to heavy bacterial milk contamination on about 50% of the milk samples tested along the camel milk value chain.
Key words: Camel, milk, total viable bacterial counts, total coliform counts, value chain, hygiene practices, contamination risk factors, Kenya
Key words: Key words: Camel, milk, total viable bacterial counts, total coliform counts, value chain, hygiene practices, contamination risk factors, Kenya
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