Bovine Mastitis - A Disease of Serious Concern for Dairy Farmers

Mastitis is an inflammatory disease condition of udder affecting milk production negatively and having a serious impact on the economy of dairy enterprises. It is considered to be the most costly disease of dairy animals and losses mainly occur through discarded milk, reduction in milk yield, premature culling of animals and replacements. It is usually caused due to the effects of infection by bacterial or mycotic pathogens. Pathological changes to milk-secreting epithelial cells due to the inflammatory processes often bring about a decrease in functional capacity. Depending on the pathogen, functional losses may continue into further lactations, which impair productivity and potential weight gain by offspring. Although most infections result in relatively mild clinical or subclinical local inflammation, more severe cases can lead to agalactia or even profound systemic involvement resulting in death. Mastitis has been reported in almost all domestic mammals and has a worldwide geographic distribution. Climatic conditions, seasonal variation, density and housing of livestock populations, and husbandry practices may affect the incidence and etiology. However, it is of greatest frequency and economic importance in species that primarily are producers of milk, particularly dairy cattle.