ABSTRACT
The present study was aimed at evaluating the quality of the water used for the cleaning of dairy-cow teats and milking equipment on dairy farms located in the counties of Miranda do Norte, Itapecurú-Mirim and Santa Rita, in Maranhão State, Brazil, by using the MPN (most probably number) technique in the enumeration of total coliforms and Escherichia coli, according to the Colilert method. Samples of water were taken during summertime (August through December 2006, 20 samples) and wintertime (January through July 2007, 20 samples). Analysis showed that, in summertime, total coliforms ranged from absent to maximum contamination (> 2419.6 NMP) while E. coli ranged from absent to 344.1 NMP, and that, during wintertime, total coliforms ranged from absent to maximum contamination (> 2419.6 NMP) while E.coli ranged from absent to 770.1 NMP. During summertime, 90% and 75% of samples did not meet the requirements of the Brazilian Health Ministry regulation 518/2004 for total coliforms and E. coli, respectively. The same percentages in wintertime were 90% and 70%. The results clearly indicate the need for a sanitary education effort involving the rural population, coupled with the implementation of preventive measures, in order to improve the quality of the milk produced in the facilities studied.
KEY WORDS
Water; microbiology;
E. coli
; Colilert