Cytological and microbiological aspects of milk ON GOAT'S SUBCLINICAL MASTITIS

Abstract

Goat's milk is an important product in human alimentation, since it presents an elevated nutritional content indicated for children, the elderly and the disabled. It is accepted by persons who are intolerant to bovine milk. 720 samples of goat's milk were collected from 378 dairy goat´s of Saanen and Anglo-Nubian race coming from ten rural properties within the Brazilian state of São Paulo (n=8) and Minas Gerais (n=2), by California Mastitis Test (CMT), cultivating samples from the reaction +. Were isolated Staphylococcus aureus (34.6%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (26%), Staphylococcus caprae (25%), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (6.7%), Corynebacterium bovis (2.9%), Streptococcus uberis (1.9%), Escherichia coli (1.9%), and Micrococcus ssp (1%). The average of Somatic Cells Counts (SCC) range from 119.8 to 899.5 SCC/mL of milk. Despite not having found a significant correlation between CMT and SCC/mL of milk, the significant SCC increase of milk samples with reaction +++ to CMT must be considered. Consider that there is occurrence of subclinical mastitis in goats is high, the microbiota is wide and S. aureus was the most frequent.