Журнал бактериологии и паразитологии

Абстрактный

Mastitis in Camels in Africa and the Middle East

Archana P Iyer, Mai Albaik and Ibtisam Baghallab

Mastitis has been and remains the number one health problem for dairy animals and the dairy industry. Mastitis affects all dairy animals without exception, even camels. It causes great economic losses if not detected and treated promptly. The main causes of both infectious and environmental mastitis are: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, E. coli and Klebsiella. Mastitis can be acquired by an animal either infectiously or through the environment, each type has its own pathogens, but the same pathogenic mechanism. The pathogen usually enters through the teat and continues to reach the mammary gland inside the udder, then begins to multiply and produce toxins that trigger immune responses in the animal to fight infections, which ultimately causes the symptoms of mastitis from fever, inflammation, swelling, changes in the composition and color of the milk, and the presence of somatic cells, etc. This inflammation can vary in severity due to many factors such as the type of pathogen, the health of the animal and its age, and the lactation cycle of the animal. The inflammation can be either clinical or subclinical or the most severe chronic mastitis. There are many methods that detect the presence of mastitis, but still, culture methods are considered the most accurate methods to use. Camels are the most important dairy animals in the Middle East countries as well as the Horn of Africa countries due to the desert areas they have, which are mainly inhabited by Arab tribes. Camels are considered the main source of both milk and meat in these areas. In addition, they are considered as an investment in wealth and insurance against natural disasters that commonly occur in the desert and cause livestock deaths. Camels play an important role in the lives of people living in the desert, and protecting them and their products from mastitis is the most difficult task they face. Although camels have always been considered immune to many different infectious diseases, they have been shown to be susceptible to mastitis. Literature on the exact prevalence of camel mastitis is limited, but it indicates its presence in almost all Arab countries. Practicing proper disinfection methods and control and management procedures recommended by relevant organizations helps prevent mastitis in camels and ensures their healthy survival. In conclusion, it should be noted that camel mastitis, although less common than other alarming diseases in camels, should be treated with caution to avoid its spread and becoming an endemic infection in order to protect the camel population in these countries due to their extreme importance.