ASSESSMENT OF CONTAMINATION OF MILK WITH STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, MILK CONSUMPTION HABIT AND HANDLING PRACTICES: IMPLICATION FOR PUBIC HEALTH IN SEBETA, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA
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Date
2015-06
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Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 to assess the contamination of milk with Staphylococcus aureus, milk consumption habit and handling practices using microbiological technique and questionnaire survey in Sebeta town, central Ethiopia. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling technique were used to generate the desired data. The study involved 209 individual cow milk, 27 swab from milking buckets and 25 swab from hands of milkers, 20 milk samples from tank of milk collection centers, 10 pasteurized milk from processing plant and 23 farm owners, 19 milk collectors, 50 consumers, 17 hotel/cafeteria workers and 1 milk processing staff member were included. Bacteriological culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed following the recommended standard procedures. The study revealed a prevalence of 19.6% (95%CI: 14.5-25.6) at farm milk and contamination of 80% of Staphylococcus aureus at collection centers, and there was statistically significant variation between them with higher contamination at milk collection centers (χ²=35.599, df=1, p=0.000). There was also significant variation in the proportion of Staphylococcus aureus among collection centers (χ²= 60.000, df=3 p=0.000). The contamination of milker's hand and milking bucket with Staphylococcus aureus were 32% and 11.1%, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from none of the pasteurized milk samples. The isolates were found to be resistant to cefoxitine (100%), penicillin G (98.5%), and streptomycin (77.9%). 35% of the farmers were consume raw milk, all didn't wash their hands using antiseptic solutions, never washed cow teats/udder and all had no knowledge of Staphylococcal food poisoning. In conclusion, the study showed poor handling practices of milk, raw milk consumption habit, resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to commonly used antibiotics and lack of awareness about staphylococcal food poisoning implicating for public health issue. Eventually, raising awareness on milk handling practices, milk borne staphylococcal poisoning and further study to estimate the risk of staphylococcal poising following consumption of milk contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus at each milk value chain in the study area were recommended.
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MSc Thesis
Keywords
Antibiotics, Contamination, Milk, Sebeta, Staphylococcus aureus, Value chain