Prevalence of Mastitis and Effectiveness of Mastitis Control in Dairy Cattle in Mathira Constituency, Nyeri County, Kenya.

Abstract

This study assessed prevalence of mastitis and effectiveness of mastitis control in dairy cattle in Mathira constituency. Data regarding occurrence of mastitis, farmers' current practices in mastitis control, and administering a questionnaire to 76 smallholder farmers collected their knowledge about dairy cow mastitis. Quarter milk samples were collected from randomly selected lactating cows and screened for mastitis using the California Mastitis Test. Milk samples that tested positive on screening were cultured for isolation of pathogens. A total of 202 lactating cows were sampled. The prevalence of mastitis at quarter level was 87.4% (n=808) with contagious bacteria pathogens being responsible for 52.2% (n=508) of all the isolates recovered. Most of these contagious isolates were coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, (98.5%), the rest being Streptococcus agalactiae. Normal teat flora, opportunist and environmental pathogens were responsible for 32.7%, 7.3% and 4.5% of all the isolates respectively. Stimulation (93.4%), prompt and adequate treatment of clinical cases(77.6%) and sanitation(69.7%) were the only control measures noted to have been embraced adequately. Sanitation, use of individual towel, and stimulation were ranked as the most effective having been scored by 39, 24 and 23 respondents respectively. It is concluded that concerted effort by all stakeholders is paramount if the war against mastitis in Mathira Constituency is to be won.