HYGIENIC PRACTICES IN MILK HANDLING AND PREVALENCE OF CAMPYLOBACTER IN RAW COW MILK SUPPLY CHAINS IN MAYA CITY, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Campylobacter is an intestinal bacterium of animals, especially poultry, cattle and other livestock. It is one of the most common bacterial causes of foodborne infection in humans worldwide, usually through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter in raw cow milk through its supply chain and to assess the contribution factors for contamination of raw cow milk in Maya City. A total of 127 raw cow milk samples with 60 milk contact associate environmental samples were collected from February 2024 to July 2024 through a cross-sectional type of study. Raw milk and environmental samples were collected and processed using enrichment, differential, and selective medium. Risk factors for Campylobacter occurrences were assessed using culture method laboratory diagnosis of milk and environmental samples and structured questionnaire surveys, followed by binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of Campylobacter in tested raw cow milk was 11.02% (95% CI: 0.95-9.68), and in environmental samples it was 8.3% (95% CI: 0.14- 1.71), resulting in an overall prevalence of 10.70%. The occurrence of Campylobacter in raw cow milk was significantly associated with poor cleanness of the house (AOR: 14.35, 95% CI: 1.25- 164.62), poor cow cleanliness (AOR: 5.7, 95% CI: 1.23-40.20), use of unclean containers (AOR: 6.63, 95% CI: 1.28-34.35. The current study indicated that there is a significant prevalence of Campylobacter in fresh farm milk from milk selling sites (17.7%) and udder milk (6.6%) from individual dairy cows. A questionnaire survey revealed limited awareness, with 95% of respondents lacking training in hygienic milk handling. The prevalence of Campylobacter in raw cow milk supplied to the community is slightly high in the Maya City East Hararghe zone, Ethiopia, when compared with other studies in the country. It is highly associated with hygiene practices in the milk supply value chain. Thus, strict hygiene measures, including cleaning and disinfection of milking areas, equipment, and containers, as well as efforts should be made to establish baseline data for Campylobacter prevalence in the study area to enable trend analysis and better epidemiological understanding.