Risk Factors Associated with Prevalence of Brucellosis and Bacteria in Fermented Cow Milk Obtained from Kajiado Central Sub-County in Kenya

Cattle rearing is the most important activities practiced by Maasai pastoralists in Kajiado Central Sub-County, Kenya. However, its role has been hampered by occurrence of Brucellosis and other pathogenic conditions of important public health concern. The present study assessed the prevalence and risk factors of brucellosis, and presence of pathogenic bacteria in fermented cow milk obtained from respondents in Kajiado Central Sub-County. The study design was a cross-sectional where 114 fermented milk samples were sampled. From each household, one fermented milk sample was obtained and assessed for brucellosis using milk ring test. The milk was transported to the laboratory where presence of bacteria was determined using standard bacteriological methods. Questionnaires were administered at household level to determine the risk factors associated with occurrence of brucellosis. The overall prevalence of brucellosis in the fermented cattle milk was 7.89%. Herding of cattle with other livestock and use of communal bulls in breeding had a close association (p≤0.05) with the prevalence of brucellosis. There were 7 bacterial species isolated from the milk and these included Streptococcus spp. (43.86%), Lactobacillus spp. (40.35%), Klebsiella spp. (15.79%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (14.91%) Pseudomonas spp. (14.04%), Staphylococcus aureus (11.4%), Salmonella typhi (7.89%) and Escherichia coli (4.39%). The mean coliform count of the fermented milk ranged from 1.61×101 to 5.84×101 CFU/Ml. In conclusion, the study showed that brucellosis is prevalent in the study area. There is a need to create awareness of occurrence of brucellosis and other pathogenic bacteria in fermented milk by addressing the observed risk factors.