Bovine Mastitis: A Review of Causes and Epidemiological Point of View

Abstract

Bovine mastitis is, inflammation of mammary gland parenchyma due to infection with a pathogen (intra-mammary infection, IMI), injury, allergy and neoplasm, considered to be the most costly disease of dairy animals worldwide. It is said to be a multi-etiological complex disease as it is the outcome of interaction of various associated factors: the host, pathogens and the environment. The disease is characterized by physical, chemical and bacteriological changes in the milk and pathological changes in the glandular tissue of the udder. Infectious agents, in particular, the various species of bacteria are accounted as the most important etiologic agents of mastitis. Disease dissemination within the herd is enabled with large number of possible contacts between dairy animals which especially enhanced by milkers’ hand and milking equipment. Detection of the mastitis is often complicated due to the subclinical nature of the mammary infection. Mastitis is a disease warranting serious attention for its control and preventions as it is the most economically overwhelming disease, causing reduction in milk production & milk quality, veterinary expenses and/ or treatment costs with antibiotic withdrawal period besides to the possibility of transmission of zoonotic disease and antibiotics residue secreted by milk.  Sound husbandry practices and sanitation, post-milking teat dipping, treatment of mastitis during non-lactating period of the dairy cow, and culling of chronically infected cow are the key elements to be recommended in the control and prevention of mastitis.