Bovine mastitis, commonly known as cow mastitis, is an inflammatory condition of the mammary gland of dairy cattle. It occurs due to bacterial infection in one or more quarters of the udder. The most common pathogens that cause mastitis are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species.
Symptoms of Mastitis
The symptoms of mastitis include swollen or hardened udder, abnormal milk (watery, bloody or clotted), fever and loss of appetite in cows. The milk production is reduced significantly due to fibrosis of mammary gland tissue in chronic cases. Subclinical mastitis does not show any visible symptoms but leads to decreased milk production and poor milk quality.
Economic Impact of Bovine Mastitis
Mastitis poses a huge economic burden on the dairy industry worldwide. The economic losses are associated with decreased milk production, increased treatment costs, discarded milk during therapy and increased risk of cows being removed from herd due to chronic infections. According to a survey, mastitis accounts for about 37% of total economic losses in dairy farming in terms of reduced milk production and increased treatment costs.
Bovine Mastitis Transmission and Prevention
Bovine Mastitis pathogens spread from cow to cow mainly through contaminated milking equipment, holding areas and mammary gland skin. Good hygiene practices like teat dipping, pre- and post-milking teat disinfection can help reduce new intramammary infections. Dry cow therapy is recommended to cure existing infections during non-lactating period. Hospital pens should be maintained separately to isolate sick animals. Physical infrastructures like milking parlors also need regular cleaning and disinfection. Proper handling and storage of milk can prevent additional bacterial contamination.
Antibiotic Treatment and Resistance
Antibiotics are widely used for treatment of clinical mastitis to cure bacterial infections. Intramammary preparations of penicillin, cephalosporins and aminoglycosides are commonly prescribed by veterinarians. However, injudicious use of antibiotics has led to emerging resistance in mastitis pathogens in recent times. Farmers need to judiciously use antibiotics under veterinary supervision and follow recommended milk withdrawal periods. Alternatives like vaccination and natural anti-microbials are being explored to limit drug resistance development.
Role of Genetics and Breeding
Genetic selection of dairy cows with better udder health and resistance to mastitis infections can help reduce the disease prevalence over generations. Milk somatic cell count (SCC), which is an indicator of udder inflammation, is one of the criteria in total merit indexing system. Breeding programs focus on selecting bull sires and dams with low SCC transmitted to offspring. Crossbreeding of European dairy breeds like Holstein with Indian breeds has also shown positive results by utilizing hybrid vigour.
Recent Diagnostic Advances
New generation DNA-based diagnostic techniques like PCR and sequencing have enabled rapid and reliable identification of mastitis pathogens. On-farm rapid tests are useful screening tools for monitoring subclinical mastitis. Infrared and advanced ultrasound imaging modalities help detect abnormalities in mammary tissues at an early stage. Real-time PCR is a sensitive method for detecting very low levels of bacteria and used for post-treatment monitoring. Precision dairy technologies integrated with such diagnostics will augment prevention and control strategies in the future.
Bovine mastitis poses a serious health and economic challenge to the global dairy sector. It requires a multifaceted 'One Health' approach with emphasis on improving milk harvest hygiene, practicing responsible antibiotic usage, selective breeding, vaccination, and diagnostics. Coordinated efforts are needed from farmers, veterinarians, researchers and policymakers to curtail the losses due to this production disease of dairy cattle.
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