PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS OF BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS AND ITS ZOONOTIC POTENTIAL IN SELECTED DAIRY FARMS OF HARAR CITY, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was carried out from February, 2021 to December 2021 to estimate the prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis in 5 dairy farms, identify the associated risk factors and its zoonotic potential. In 5 Randomly selected dairy herds the cross-breed dairy cows were first tested to the Tuberculin skin test, and then the milk from positive animals was collected to test the presence of Mycobacterium bovis by culturing and ZN- staining techniques. Using questioner survey, the study considered different aspects of public health risks; husbandry, knowledge and awareness including the farm hygienic practice level to zoonotic potential of bTB were assessed on 100 randomly selected respondents which include dairy owners, dairy workers, and customers who regularly purchasing milk and milk products from selected dairy farms for study. The overall finding signifies that people lack the zoonotic disease related Awareness level was lower or below 50%. The overall Comparative Intra Dermal Tubercline skin test prevalence was about 32(12.21%). Out of the total 5 dairy herds tested (262), 32 of them (12.21%) were found to be positive reactors for bovine tuberculosis. Using the cultural techniques from the total 23 raw milk cultured slants to the CIDT test only 7 slant were found to be positive (30..4%) The result after slant incubation of the LJ Media enriched with Pyruvate sample shows a visible creamy to yellowish, flat colonies after13 weeks of incubation, were presumed to be M. bovis. Thus, this findings warrant the initiation of practically applicable control strategy before increasing the spread of bTB due to M. bovis both in cattle and humans. Detection of Mycobacteria ‗MTBC‘ smeared from the post cultural slant in raw milk revealed that it poses a serious public health risk to the consumers‘ in Harar area.