Twenty-four raw-milk samples collected over three visits to one Narathiwat goat farm had generally acceptable physical and chemical composition and no detected Salmonella. However, presumptive Staphylococcus aureus, high somatic-cell counts and antibiotic-residue screens positive in 54.17% of samples signal a need for stronger udder-health and medicine-use controls.
Key findings
- Total coliforms ranged from 2.81×10¹ to 5.00×10¹ CFU/mL and thermoduric bacteria from 3.75×10¹ to 1.49×10² CFU/mL; Salmonella was not detected. Mean presumptive S. aureus was 6.81×10⁴ CFU/mL, somatic cells 2.83×10⁶ cells/mL, and 54.17% screened positive for antibiotic residues.
Why this matters globally
Small dairy-goat systems globally must connect animal health, milking hygiene and antimicrobial stewardship. The case identifies indicators that extension and dairy chains can monitor together under a One Health approach.
Thai researcher contribution
Princess of Naradhiwas University researchers combined farm observation and laboratory testing in southern Thailand, adding evidence from a smallholder context rarely represented in the dairy-goat literature.
Limitations to consider
One farm and 24 repeated-system samples cannot estimate prevalence. There was no comparison farm; S. aureus was presumptive, molecular confirmation was not reported in the abstract, and residue screening did not identify compounds or concentrations, so causation and regulatory non-compliance cannot be established.