PREVALENCE OF CLINICAL MASTITIS AND OF INTRAMAMMARY INFECTIONS IN NIGERIAN GOATS

Mastitis in goats was investigated by a survey made in seven governmen t established goat farms in Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States of Nigeria . A total of 900 goats was examined. The prevalence of mastitis was ju dged by the results of physical examinations of the mammary gland by p alpation and evaluation of the milk secretion. Bacteriological examina tion also was done on all milk samples collected from affected goats a nd some selected control animals. A total of 92 goats (10%) had mastit is. Twenty-two (23.91%) of the affected goats had bilateral infection, while 70 (76.1%) had only one udder half affected. In cases of unilat eral involvement, there was no significant difference as to which half (left or right) was clinically affected. From 200 apparently normal g oats' udders 70 (35%) of the mammary glands examined harboured bacteri a of importance. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the m ost commonly isolated bacteria from mastitic goats. Other bacteria wer e coagulase negative Staphylococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, beta-haemo lytic and non-haemolytic streptococci. Bacillus species, Actinomyces p yogenes, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, Pasteurella haemolytica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Actinobacillus equuli. This is the first re port of A. equuli associated with caprine mastitis in Nigeria.