Empirical Analysis of Enteric Pathogens in Raw Milk Sold at Aduwawa, Agbor,Asaba, Auchi and Warri, Nigeria
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of enteric pathogens in raw milk sold at Warri, Agbor, Asaba, Aduwawa and Auchi. A total of 30(fifteen samples collected twice) raw milk samples were collected from market vendors and cattle ranch in the above locations and transported in universal bottles in an ice cooler within twenty four hours to the laboratory for analysis. Bacteria identification, colony morphology & biochemical test was carried out to identify the microorganism, antibiotic sensitivity was also carried out using nutrient agar and multi-drug-disc. In the thirty samples analyzed, Escherichia coli was prevalent in all locations (31.3%, 28.5%, 42.9%, 35.7%, 35.7%) respectively for the first batch of samples analyzed. The second batch of samples analyzed indicated the following results (27.7%, 35.7%, 29.4%, 31.2%, 29.4%) respectively. The occurrence of these pathogens (Pseudomonas sp., E.coli, Proteus, Klebsiella, Salmonella and Enterobacter) in raw milk are due to several factors such as animal health, poor milking practices, and poor animal waste management. Taken together, qualitative and quantitative findings revealed that in order to ensure safety of raw milk, regulatory authorities should establish guidelines and standards based on research findings to cover the entire raw milk chain across Delta and Edo state to alleviate the risk associated with disease outbreak of raw milk.
Keywords: Raw milk: Colony: Samples: Cattle: Gastroenteritis: Health: Nutrition: Nigeria.
