Analysis Of Microbial Infections In Camel (Camelus Dromedarius) Milk And Implications In Kenya

ABSTRACT

Raw camel milk production and marketing chain in Kenya was investigated for microbial

infections and implications. Milk samples were taken using simple random sampling

method in a clustered sampling plan. There were three cluster levels, the production,

processing and market levels. Analysis of samples in the laboratory for enumeration and

characterization was by standard methods as described in the methodology. Data analysis

was done by Pearson correlation coefficient and chi-square. At production level, 66% of

the 107 samples taken had bacterial load ranging from 103-105 colony forming units per

ml (cfu/ml). Over 90% of the samples from the processing and market levels ranged from

106-108 cfu/ml. The total viable counts were higher (P < 0.05) than coliform counts at

production level. There were more spores at production than at market level. All the

isolated organisms did not survive temperatures above 550 C. Salmonella enterica was

prevalent at production and processing level. There was no S.enterica isolation at market

level. Gram-negative rods (GNR) occurred at every level of the camel milk chain with an

incidence of 54% of the 254 samples taken. Gram-positive cocci (42% incidence) were

highest at production level. From the study, the microbial load in raw camel milk chain

increased from production to the market. GNR were the majority and included the genera

Escherichia, Enterobacter and Pseudomonas. S.enterica contamination of raw camel

milk chain exists at production and collection level and not at the market level. The S.

enterica serovars involved were S. enterica Typhi and S. enterica Paratyphi C. Since

camels, pastoralists and camel milk handlers may act as carriers of S. enterica in the

causation web, it is recommented that another study be done to determine host specificity for the serovars identified