STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF BACILLUS CEREUS AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS IN BOVINE RAW MILK IN DEBRE ZEIT, ETHIOPIA
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2012-06
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Abstract
The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of B. cereus, evaluate the load of B. cereus and assess risk factors associated with B. cereus load and its public health implication in raw milk samples collected from dairy farms in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. A total of 384 raw milk samples were collected from eleven randomly selected dairy farms. The overall prevalence of B. cereus in raw milk sample was 15.4% (59). The B. cereus count ranges from 2.3 x 104 - 5.4 x 105 CFU/ml. From positive samples, 58 (15.1%) of total samples have significant counts (> 105 CFU/ml) which was above legal limit in raw milk intended for human consumption. The mean of B. cereus counts differed significantly between farms and within parities (p < 0.05). An attempt was made to assess hygienic keeping quality of milk at farm level by using semi structured questionnaire survey. Our study results indicated that raw milk samples collected from both zero-grazing and semi-intensive farm management systems were highly contaminated with B. cereus, exceeding the legal limit set for raw milk (> 105 CFU/ml), suggesting effective hygienic measures should be introduced in milk value chains during milk production, distribution and processing and food service establishments to avoid public health hazards.
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Bacillus cereus, Count, Ethiopia, Prevalence, Public health, Raw Milk