Isolation and identification of Staphylococcus aureus from bovine milk and community awareness on public health significance of mastitis in and around Jigjiga, Somali region, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study on lactating cattle was done from December 2019 to July 2020 to identify and isolate Staphylococcus aureus from bovine mastitic milk and assess community awareness of public health problems connected with mastitis in and around Jigjiga. Among 353 milk samples, 96 were determined to be mastitis positive. Clinical and subclinical mastitis were found in 79 and 17 respectively. Milk samples (n = 96) from clinical and subclinical animals were cultured to isolate S. aureus; S. aureus isolates were detected in 51.04 % (49/96) of the samples. The study was also conducted to investigate community awareness of the public health significance of mastitis and 89 % of people were aware of the disease's existence, particularly the clinical form of mastitis, due to its prominent clinical signs. In contrast, 80 % of them were unaware of the subclinical form of mastitis. About 78 % of those questioned said they had no idea mastitis could be passed from cow to cow. The majority of participants (65 %) stated that they consumed raw milk. The large percentages of respondents (92 %) were unaware that enterotoxigenic S. aureus can be found in mastitic milk. This study suggests that the most of the communities in the study site was unaware of the disease's effects. Therefore, community awareness about the public health importance of mastitis and hazardous of microbial in milk, particularly S. aureus, which causes food contamination and serves as a method of disease transmission to people through unpasteurized milk consumption, should be implemented.