Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya
Background and Aim: Camels have adaptive features to harsh climatic conditions, which make them a valued stable source of livelihood in arid lands. This study estimated the total bacterial and coliform counts (CCs), their associated factors in raw camel milk from the pastoral camel keepers, and the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Veterinary World
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Veterinary World |
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| Online Access: | http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.15/August-2022/7.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811214636724256768 |
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| author | George Karuoya Gitau Peter Kimeli Davis Ikiror Willy Mwangi Douglas Machuchu Moses Irungu Gakuru Genevieve Owuor |
| author_facet | George Karuoya Gitau Peter Kimeli Davis Ikiror Willy Mwangi Douglas Machuchu Moses Irungu Gakuru Genevieve Owuor |
| author_sort | George Karuoya Gitau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and Aim: Camels have adaptive features to harsh climatic conditions, which make them a valued stable source of livelihood in arid lands. This study estimated the total bacterial and coliform counts (CCs), their associated factors in raw camel milk from the pastoral camel keepers, and the entire milk value chain in Isiolo County and Nairobi, Kenya. This study elucidates the bacterial load in camel milk and its potential risk. Moreover, this study provides recommendations on how to avert a human health hazard.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study targeted the camel pastoralists in Isiolo County, in the northern central part of Kenya. The study was conducted in July and August 2021. In addition, camel milk samples were collected along the value chain key points, including the producers, transporters, one bulker, and small traders in Isiolo town, and other retailers in Nairobi City. Eight camel herds were purposively selected and visited for a sample collection from pooled milking containers (10 mL each). In addition, milk was collected from pooled milk through the transporters, two milk bulkers, and several milk retailers in Isiolo town. Milk was further collected from retailers in Eastleigh town, Nairobi City. At each sampling point, 20 mL of milk sample was collected aseptically. The milk samples were assessed for total viable bacterial counts (TVBC) and CCs using the plate count and digital colony count, respectively.
Results: A total of 76 respondents were selected and 213 milk samples were collected in this study. The respondents included the 1 (1.3%) bulker, 32 (42.1%) producers, 26 (34.2%) traders, and 17 (22.4%) transporters. Most respondents were male (62%), with most being over 40 years old. Overall, the TVBC had a mean of 2436835 ± 9276636 and a median of 3600. Furthermore, the multivariable multilevel mixed-effects linear regression model indicated that gender and practice of smoking milk-handling containers were positively and negatively associated with high counts of the natural logarithm of total viable bacteria, respectively. Of the milk samples evaluated for the CC, 10.3% (22/213) had counts greater than or equal to (≥) 100,000, where some also indicated extreme outliers of about 9.3 million.
Conclusion: This study reports a low proportion of camel milk samples with high total viable bacterial and CCs. The material of the milk container and level of education interactively affected the total viable bacteria. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:08:06Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-3a8a93e2c06a4c7b83e62b42828d2fd42022-12-22T03:44:47ZengVeterinary WorldVeterinary World0972-89882231-09162022-08-011581954196010.14202/vetworld.2022.1954-1960Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, KenyaGeorge Karuoya Gitau0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3985-560XPeter Kimeli1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9587-4952Davis Ikiror2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2440-8217Willy Mwangi3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2368-0814Douglas Machuchu4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2244-1440Moses Irungu Gakuru5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0588-1794Genevieve Owuor6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5792-3354Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya.Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya.Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse, Muthangari Road, off Gitanga Road, P.O. Box 25656-00603, Nairobi, Kenya.Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya.Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse, Muthangari Road, off Gitanga Road, P.O. Box 25656-00603, Nairobi, Kenya.Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625 Nairobi, Kenya.Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Suisse, Muthangari Road, off Gitanga Road, P.O. Box 25656-00603, Nairobi, Kenya.Background and Aim: Camels have adaptive features to harsh climatic conditions, which make them a valued stable source of livelihood in arid lands. This study estimated the total bacterial and coliform counts (CCs), their associated factors in raw camel milk from the pastoral camel keepers, and the entire milk value chain in Isiolo County and Nairobi, Kenya. This study elucidates the bacterial load in camel milk and its potential risk. Moreover, this study provides recommendations on how to avert a human health hazard. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study targeted the camel pastoralists in Isiolo County, in the northern central part of Kenya. The study was conducted in July and August 2021. In addition, camel milk samples were collected along the value chain key points, including the producers, transporters, one bulker, and small traders in Isiolo town, and other retailers in Nairobi City. Eight camel herds were purposively selected and visited for a sample collection from pooled milking containers (10 mL each). In addition, milk was collected from pooled milk through the transporters, two milk bulkers, and several milk retailers in Isiolo town. Milk was further collected from retailers in Eastleigh town, Nairobi City. At each sampling point, 20 mL of milk sample was collected aseptically. The milk samples were assessed for total viable bacterial counts (TVBC) and CCs using the plate count and digital colony count, respectively. Results: A total of 76 respondents were selected and 213 milk samples were collected in this study. The respondents included the 1 (1.3%) bulker, 32 (42.1%) producers, 26 (34.2%) traders, and 17 (22.4%) transporters. Most respondents were male (62%), with most being over 40 years old. Overall, the TVBC had a mean of 2436835 ± 9276636 and a median of 3600. Furthermore, the multivariable multilevel mixed-effects linear regression model indicated that gender and practice of smoking milk-handling containers were positively and negatively associated with high counts of the natural logarithm of total viable bacteria, respectively. Of the milk samples evaluated for the CC, 10.3% (22/213) had counts greater than or equal to (≥) 100,000, where some also indicated extreme outliers of about 9.3 million. Conclusion: This study reports a low proportion of camel milk samples with high total viable bacterial and CCs. The material of the milk container and level of education interactively affected the total viable bacteria.http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.15/August-2022/7.pdfcamelscoliform countsmilkpastoraliststotal bacterial count |
| spellingShingle | George Karuoya Gitau Peter Kimeli Davis Ikiror Willy Mwangi Douglas Machuchu Moses Irungu Gakuru Genevieve Owuor Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya Veterinary World camels coliform counts milk pastoralists total bacterial count |
| title | Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya |
| title_full | Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya |
| title_short | Factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from Isiolo County, Kenya |
| title_sort | factors associated with total coliform and total viable bacterial count in camel milk from isiolo county kenya |
| topic | camels coliform counts milk pastoralists total bacterial count |
| url | http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.15/August-2022/7.pdf |
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