부산대학교 도서관

Simple Summary: In dairy buffalo farms, the hygiene of the milking area represents a key task of internal biosecurity measures since it can directly influence the dairy animals' health and the microbiological quality of raw milk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cleanliness and the bacterial contamination of milking parlours' surfaces and equipment of eight buffalo farms located in the Campania Region using an ATP-bioluminescence assay and bacteriological analysis during the year 2022. The findings of this study underline that an ATP-bioluminescence assay is a valid, complementary, cost-effective on-farm tool useful to quickly detect the contamination of milking parlours. Careful cleaning of a milking parlour and its equipment is fundamental to guarantee good raw milk quality and prevent the dissemination of bacteria and improve animal welfare. This study aimed to investigate, using an ATP-bioluminescence assay and bacteriological analysis, the bacterial contamination of milking parlours on milking parlour surfaces of buffalo farms in the Campania Region, evaluating the seasonal dynamics during the year 2022. Eight farms were selected by the Italian ClassyFarm system, which assesses the level of animal welfare and biosecurity according to risk analysis. Before sampling, all dairy farm owners filled out a questionnaire on milking management, animal hygiene, and health. The questionnaires evidenced similar cleaning procedures but an absence of a standardised cleaning protocol among the different farms. ATP bioluminescence results evidenced similar levels of contamination in all the selected buffalo farms, and the season comparison showed no significant differences. A variation in the percentages of bacterial isolates during the different seasons was observed, with a higher prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae (38%) in summer. A small number of samples exhibited an absence of bacterial growth. Identifying bacteria is crucial for understanding the microorganisms present in the milking parlour, yet employing ATP luminometry could offer broad and accurate applications in buffalo milking parlours. In conclusion, the use of ATP bioluminescence for evaluating the hygiene of a buffalo milking parlour could represent a further important advancement in dairy farming technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]