The purposes of the inflammatory response are to destroy or neutralize the injuries agent and allow healing and return to normal function.
It is the most common and costly infectious disease in dairy cattle world-wide. It induces economic costs, mainly consisting of discarded milk, increased health care costs and reduced milk quality.
Mastitis also contributes to consumer concerns regarding animal welfare and regarding the impact of use of antibiotics in animals on efficacy of antibiotics for human health and the possible development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Estimates indicate that only 25% of all mastitis losses are associated with cases where the milk is visually abnormal, known as clinical mastitis. Most dairy farms experience a 25-40% incidence of clinical mastitis on an annual basis.
The causative bacteria can be categorized as major or minor pathogens. The most common major pathogens include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, the coliforms, and streptococci and enterococci of environmental origin.
Successful control of mastitis is dependent on effective defection, accurate diagnosis evaluation of appropriate treatment options, and implementation of preventive practices that address herd-specific risk factors associated with exposure to mastitis pathogens.
Mastitis in dairy cattle
