Objectives:The aim was to identify the different production technologies, the hygiene of the producers and the microbiological and physico-chemical qualities of curdled milks produced in Benin. Methodology and Results: Thirty-two curdled milk samples were collected from five municipalities and microbiological analyses were carried for the detection of Salmonella sp. . The enumeration of total microbial flora, total and faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, lactic flora, sulfito-reducing anaerobic germs, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as yeasts and moulds using normalized methods was carried out. The pH and the titratable acidity of the samples were determined by the AOAC method (1990). Results showed that majority of curdled milk producers of Benin are Peulh women. Two types of milks (fresh cow milk and powdered milk) were used for the preparation of these curds with two different technologies (technology using powdered milk in their preparation with old curdled milk as a starter and that using fresh cow milk with endogenous starter) were used. Microbiological and physico-chemical analyses revealed that the average total microbial flora was 255±126.10 6 cfu/ml. The lactic flora, as well as yeasts and moulds flora were respectively 8.29±6.56 x10 6 cfu/ml, 12.431±20.706 x10 3 cfu/ml and 13±23 cfu/ml. Coliforms count varied from 11.313±13 x10 3 cfu/ml at 30°C to 0.983±1.228 x10 3 cfu/ml at 44°C, while the average Escherichia coli count was 0.34±0.89 cfu/ml. The average pH and titratable acidity of the samples were respectively 3.77±0.17 and 156.36±30.22 degree Dornic. All analysed curds were exempt of Salmonella sp, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium spp. Conclusion and application of findings: The poor quality of the studied curdled milk samples poses serious health risks to consumers. Therefore, this study calls for producers' sensitisation and training on good hygienic practices for safer curdled milk production with less public health risk.

Fresh juices are highly nutritious foods for human beings, but the inability to observe requirements for their preparation, packaging and storage subjects them to microbial contamination which poses a potential health risk to consumers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of beverages sold within the cafes of the campuses of Abomey-Calavi University (Benin). A survey carried out among beverage vendors showed that the sources of contamination were uncontrolled and the raw materials used were of questionable quality as the operators lacked good hygienic practices. Thus, the microbial quality of forty-five samples of four types of beverages sold in these cafes was investigated for mesophilic aerobic flora, Coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, sulfate-reducing anaerobic spores, fungal flora and Salmonella spp. using standardized methods. Then, molecular studies identified the pathogenic strains isolated from the beverages. An antibiotic susceptibility test was performed on the strains identified for the detection of multi-resistant bacteria. These analyses revealed a non-compliance rate of 100% in the analyzed samples. The indicators that caused this non-compliance in the samples were mesophilic aerobic flora, coliforms and fungi. In addition, 85.7% of the samples contained other Enterobacteriaceae including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Morganella morganii, Kluyvera georgiana, Citrobacter murliniae, Yersinia intermedia. While the non-compliance rates of the samples for Salmonella spp and E.coli were 4.4% each, the non-compliance rate for S. aureus was 2.2% with the presence of sometimes multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Sellers' awareness of good hygiene practices is important for improving the quality of food sold.

<p>Despite its prominent place in development strategies, poultry breeding faces many constraints, including pathological ones. Among pathologies that affect poultry, colibacillosis is one of the most diseases that are communicable to humans and associated with heavy economic losses. To fight efficiently against avian colibacillosis, the work aimed to evaluate antimicrobial potential evaluation of non-volatile extracts of <em>Euphorbia hirta</em> and <em>Psidium guajava</em>, as well as the essential oils of <em>Clausena anisata</em> and <em>Aeollanthus pubescens</em> extracts and two commercial antibiotics namely tetracolivit and Oxytetracyclin against <em>Escherichia coli</em>. To achieve this goal, susceptibility tests were performed on a strain of <em>E. coli</em> using agar diffusion and microdilution methods. Results obtained showed that essential oils from <em>Clausena anisata</em> and non-volatile extracts tested were not active on <em>E coli</em>. However, the essential oils extracted from <em>Aeollanthus pubescens</em> were active on the <em>E. coli</em> with MIC of 0.44 ± 0.21 mg/ml and MBC of 0.87 ± 0.41mg / ml for the oil of the whole part, followed respectively by flower oil  (MBC = 0.99 mg/ml) and leaf stem oil (MBC= 1.62 mg / ml). Comparing the activity of the essential oils of <em>Aeollanthus</em> with antibiotics tested, we noticed that tetracolivit was more active with MBC =0.15±0.07mg/ml on <em>E. coli</em> than these extracts which were more active than Oxytetracyclin (MBC=2.34±1.11mg/ml). In sum, the study showed that for a better management of avian collibacillosis in Benin, the tetracolivit is suitable as antibiotic which can be substituted by <em>Aeollanthus pubescens </em>essential oils.</p>

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| A longitudinal study was conducted from February 2012 to January 2013 in Benin to determine monthly prevalence of bovine brucellosis. Five herds were sampled at a rate of two in the North (Gogounou and Okpara) and three in the South (Athiémé, Kpinnou and Ouidah). Twelve animals were selected and identified in each of these herds. Blood samples were collected every month from the animals and their sera were analyzed with Rose Bengal and indirect ELISA tests. Space-time analyses were performed with SaTScan ™ software and monthly seroprevalence was compared in pairs using Fisher Exact Test in R software. Overall, 105 animals were detected positive from the 626 analyzed samples. The prevalence differed significantly from one month to another between the North and the South (p <0.05). Animals were 5.65 times more likely to be infected in the North, while in the South this risk was 4.72 times. The periods from October to December and August to September were those at risk in the North and South, respectively. This information alongside the identification of circulating Brucella strains can lead to the establishment of an effective vaccination strategy.