1. DESCRIPTION:
Bovine mastitis is the persistent, inflammatory reaction of the udder tissue due to physical trauma or microorganisms infections. Mastitis, a potentially fatal mammary gland infection, is the most common disease in dairy cattle worldwide. It is also the most costly disease to the dairy industry.
2.ETIOLOGY:
Mastitis are caused by the infection of pathogenic bacteria namely Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus and E.Coli through lesions in the udder and nipples. The fungus called, Cida albicans, is also found in many cases of mastitis.
Etiological agents enter the mammary gland through lesions in the udder, nipples via milking machine, non-clean sterile hands or oral-to-udder transmission among calves during lactation. Milk is a very good environment for bacteria and fungi to grow, causing inflammatory foci that destroy the organization of the mammary gland. In severe cases, mastitis can lead to secondary peritonitis and sepsis and inflammation of the vagina and uterus.
3. DIAGNOSIS:
Swelling in one lobe or all of the breast due to bacterial growth in inflammatory foci. The infected cow has a pain response when pressing hard on the udder.
Mastitis can cause a decline in potassium and an increase in lactoferrin. It also results in decreased casein, the major protein in milk. As most calcium in milk is associated with casein, the disruption of casein synthesis contributes to lowered calcium in milk. The milk protein continues to undergo further deterioration during processing and storage. Milk from cows with mastitis also has a higher somatic cell count. Generally speaking, the higher the somatic cell count, the lower the milk quality.
4. PREVENTION:
- Clean the barn, wash the udder after milking and the hind legs with diluted potassium permanganate solution
- Milking process must be done quickly and ensured that there is no residual milk in the udder.
- Milking equipment must be cleaned and disinfected daily.Dairy workers should wear rubber gloves while milking.
5. TREATMENT:
- Extract milk from the infected breasts, use a hot towel to cover the infected area and massage times a day to soften any lumps, swelling areas.
- We recommend you to administer intramuscular injection with one the following antibiotics for 3-5 days continuously.
