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This study assess the occurrence of Methicilin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among camels in Kano abattoir. A total of 300 nasal swabs were collected from camels at the lairage in Kano abbatoir, Nigeria to isolate and 'biochemically characterize Staphylococcus aureus and confirm Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among isolates using oxacillin resistance screening agar basal medium (ORSAB), disc diffusion method and also through detection of penicillin binding protein 2' (PBP2'). Fourteen percent (42/300) suspected Staphylococcus spp isolates were confirmed using coagulase, DNase, hemolysis and sugar fermentation test. Of the 42 isolated Staphylococcus aureus, 35.7 % (15/42) were confirmed to be MRSA on ORSAB medium of which twelve were also resistant to oxacillin, using disc diffusion method. Five (33.3%) of the fifteen purtative MRSA were confirmed to produce penicillin- binding protein 2' by PBP2' latex agglutination test kit. The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA was higher in males than in females (p > 0.05). Multidrug resistance was displayed by all Staphylococcus aureus isolates with 100% resistance to ampicillin and penicillin, but 97.6% of the isolates were susceptible to amikacin and 90% to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. There was no statistical significance difference in antibiotic resistance between Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, cloxacillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, penicillin, tetracycline, sulphamethoxazole, vancomycin with p-value > 0.05 but there was statistical significance to oxacillin with p-value of 0.0001 and Odds Ratio of 0.7143. MRSA strains were found in 5% of camels and thus may play a potential role in disseminating the pathogen between animals and humans.

Mastitis is a major challenge to the worldwide dairy industry in spite of the widespread implementation of mastitis control strategies. The major economic loss of all forms of mastitis results from reduced milk production. Because of the difficulty in controlling mastitis the disease will maintain its role in the foreseeable future. Identifying genes offers the opportunity to improve production efficiency, quality through utilizing them in breeding programs, developing therapeutic agents that can be used to alter disease attributes by altering gene expression. The Lactoferrin gene having significant association with mastitis has been identified which is an iron binding protein present in biological fluids. This protein is synthesized by mammary epithelium cells and neutrophils and secreted as non-haem iron binding protein. It is a glycosylated protein having antibacterial, antiviral, immune-modulatory and iron haemostasis properties. In addition to it modulates the immune response by decreasing the free radical formation and by down regulating LPS induced cytokines and is an potent activator of immunological functions such as granulopoiesis, cytokine production, antibody synthesis, natural killer cell toxicity, lymphocyte proliferation and complement activation and production of interleukins (IL-1), (IL-2) and TNF. The lactoferrin acts as a carrier of IGFBP-3 and allows translocation of extracellular IGFBP-3 into nucleus of bovine mammary epithelium cells. Its concentration increases during dry period and during mastitis concentration may increases several folds. Moreover it modulates the immune response by decreasing the free radical formation and by down regulating LPS induced cytokines and exhibits strong antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria (gram-positive & negative), fungi, yeasts and viruses and parasites. Lactoferrin acts as biomarker, antioxidant and vaccine adjuvant. This paper reviews the role of lactoferrin, its mechanism of action in regulation of mammalian host defense in combating mastitis which facilitates the inclusion of mastitis resistance in bovine breeding programmes.