'S'EA'RC'H FOR SOME PATHOGENC MICROORGANISMS AFFECTING RAw MILK QUALITY IN KAFR EL-SHEIKH GOVERNORATE

Abstract

A total of 400 raw bulk milk samples, 200 each offarm and market samples, were collected from 8 dairy farms and 10 districts in different seasons at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate to be examined for the presence of Listeria spp., E. coli count and isolation of E. coli 0 157: H 7 and Mycobacteria species.

Listeria spp. could be detected m 6% and 10% of the examined farm and market milk samples respectively. The incidence of Listeria spp. was higher in autumn and winter (12% and 10%) than in summer and spring (6% and 4%).

L. innocua was the most frequent species (6.25%), followed by L. grayi (2%), L. monocytogenes (1.5%), L. seeligeri (0.75%), L. ivanovii and L. welshimeri (0.25% each).

E. coli could be detected in 68% of the examined farm milk

samples with a mean value of4.3 x 103 + 3.1 x 103

while could be

isolated from 92% of the examined market milk samples with a mean value of 1.3 x 107 + 1 x 107•

• The sequence of E. coli in different seasons was the same in farm and market milk samples. The highest incidence was recorded in summer, followed by autumn and spring; while the lowest incidence was in winter.