Mastitis pathogens prevalent in dairy cattle at Magadu farm, Morogoro-Tanzania

Abstract

Mastitis is among the major factors contributing to reduced milk production in dairy cattle. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of mastitis pathogens at the Magadu Dairy Farm, Sokoine University of Agriculture. A total of 19 milk samples were collected and cultured on blood agar and MacConkey agar followed by identification of bacteria colonies and cells using standard laboratory techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility test of the isolates was done by using disk diffusion method. All samples tested had bacterial growth with Staphylococcus spp. being the most common (44.6%). Kanamycin and Norfloxacin showed to be the best drugs of choice for treatment. The economic losses due to reduction in milk yield, changes in milk composition and discarded milk are serious burden to the dairy industry. Mastitis can be subclinical, therefore, it is important to screen dairy animal frequently to determine the health and milk production.

Keywords: Mastitis, dairy cattle, bacteria, antimicrobial susceptibility