Browsing by Author "Barahona Nacipucha, Kelly Jadira"

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    Identificación de Prototheca spp. en leche de tanque de ganaderías en las provincias de Azuay y Cañar de la sierra sur del Ecuador
    (2025-02-06) Barahona Nacipucha, Kelly Jadira; Maldonado Rivera, Jaime Eduardo
    In the dairy industry, the most common disease is mastitis, caused by various pathogens, especially bacterial ones. However, there are other less well-known pathogens such as achlorophyllous algae of the Prototheca genus, widely distributed in the environment, which have become relevant as causes of clinical and subclinical mastitis in cattle, generating economic losses for producers, since it does not respond to antibiotic treatments and can also cause disseminated infections in other animals and even humans. This study aimed to identify the presence of Prototheca spp. in cold-tank milk samples collected on farms in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar in the southern highlands of Ecuador. To do this, 33 milk samples were analyzed using two techniques for the identification of Prototheca spp: microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of the samples analyzed, 84.85% (28/33) showed growth of compatible or similar colonies; However, 27.27% (9/33) showed microscopic structures consistent with Prototheca spp. Prototheca spp. DNA was amplified by PCR in 11 samples, indicating a frequency of 33.33%. On the other hand, the variables, origin of the samples, sampling area (cold or warm), dairy herd size, average production and water quality, were evaluated by means of statistical association tests (Pearson and Fisher Chi-square). In addition, the concordance of the identification techniques was assessed by means of Cohen's Kappa test. The results show that there was no significant association between the presence of Prototheca spp. and the variables evaluated and there is no relevant concordance between the two diagnostic techniques. This is one of the first studies in the southern highland region of Ecuador that investigates the presence of Prototheca spp. in tank milk, using microbiological and molecular methods.