Prevalence, somatic cell count and etiology of bovine mastitis in Cuban herds from Mayabeque province using hand and machine milking

Few studies have been developed to evaluate the differences of bovine mastitis situation between hand and machine milking under the American tropic conditions. Twenty dairy herds were studied, 11 using hand milking (HM) and 9 machine milking (MM), from «San José de las Lajas» municipality, Mayabeque province. Between May 2009 and March 2012, samples from 182 cows (113 MM and 69 HM) were obtained meaning a 35.1% of total milking cows, resulting in 708 quarters sampled (435 MM and 273 HM). Samples were subjected to bacteriological diagnosis and somatic cell count (SCC). There were significant differences for the prevalence of blind quarters, subclinical mastitis and intramammary infections between hand milking, 1.1; 29.4 and 59.4% and machine milking, 3.8; 59.0 and 79.9%, respectively. A significant difference was found for somatic cell count averages, with 361 000 and 984 000 cells/ml for hand and machine milking, respectively. Only Streptococcus agalactiae had a difference of statistical relevance for distribution by herds, 18.2% in hand milking and 88.9% in machine milking. In samples from herds with hand milking, the pathogens of higher frequency were: Corynebacterium bovis 24.4 %, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus 13.3% and Staphylococcus aureus 6.6%; those in machine milking herds were: Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus 33.0%, Corynebacterium bovis 15.8 % and Streptococcus agalactiae 7.4%. The somatic cell count averages for the bacteriological diagnoses showed a significant difference between milking types, for negative quarters, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium bovis. Bovine mastitis presented a worse situation in the herds using machine milking.