An overview of mastitis in Sakata red goat, Nigeria

Abstract

Mastitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the mammary gland, characterized by an increased somatic cell count in milk and/or by pathological changes in mammary tissue. The disease is usually caused by pathogenic bacteria and other microbes entering the gland through the teat duct. Small ruminants play an important role in the nutrition and income of people worldwide (Mbilu, 2007). It has been estimated that there are more than 460 million goats worldwide producing about 4.50 million tons of milk and 1.20 million tons of meat annually (Hansen and Perry, 1994). In Africa both goats and sheep are widely distributed extending from arid and semi desert to humid rain forest regions and represent 20.2% and 28.9% of the total population of ruminants in Sub- Saharan Africa. In the subsistence sector, pastoralists and agro-pastoralists depend on them for their livelihood. Ironically, Sokoto State has maintained a large number of animals that graze and constituted a means of survival for the population. Livestock survey showed that Sokoto State has a livestock population of about 1.18 million cattle, 2.90 million goats, 1.98 million sheep, 2.0 million chickens, 45,000 camels, 34,532 horses and 51,388 . donkeys (FDLPCS, 1992). Goat population in Nigeria was estimated to be 34.45 million of which the majority are found in the Northern parts of the country (FDLPCS, 1992). There are two main breeds of goat in Sokoto State, the white or dappled Balami and the Red Sokoto