Prevalence and Major Pathogens Associated with Clinical and Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Benadir Region of Somalia

Abstract

| A cross-sectional study of camel mastitis was conducted on 150 lactating camels from July to December 2019 to figure out the prevalence of both clinical and subclinical mastitis in lactating camels in the Benadir Region of Somalia and also to recognize the associated microorganisms as causal agents of mastitis. The prevalence of this study was measured by using California mastitis test (CMT). Milk samples were collected from the Deyniile District, Benadir Region of Somalia. The overall prevalence of mastitis was 16.66% (7.93% on the quarter basis), the prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis was found to be 22.78% and 9.85% on the animal basis and 9.37% and 6.15% on quarter basis, respectively. The hind quarters were more frequently affected than the fore-quarters. The bacteriological inspection of milk samples revealed that Staphylococcus spp. was the primary etiological agent in both clinical and subclinical mastitis in camels (38.88%), followed by Streptococcus spp. (18.51%), Enterobacterium spp. (14.81%), Corynebacterium spp. (14.81%), Micrococcus spp. (5.55%), Pasteurella spp. (5.55%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.85%). The prevalence of camel mastitis in the study area was significantly low this might be because of the environmental factors as well as the hygienic managements of the farms. Therefore, implementation of integrated approaches has great importance in the study sites for the avoidance and management of mastitis hence minimizing economic loss and prevents significant public health risks.