MASTITIS IN DAIRY ANIMALS
Anjali Gautam1, Kumar Govil2, Abhilasha Singh2, Priya Singh2,
Rohini Gupta3
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, MP.
- College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Rewa (MP)
- College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Jabalpur (MP)
Introduction
Milk is important part of human food and is an important item of the food table of majority of people in India. It is also a major cash commodity for millions of farmers. India ranks first in the world in milk production with an estimated 127.3 million tones in 2011-12. The demand of milk by the year 2030 would be about 200 million tonnes, which would imply an annual increase of around 4 million tonnes during the next two decades. Any circumstance leading to decrease in milk quantity and quality will therefore have a strong bearing on livelihood and household nutrition. One of the major reasons for both low yield and poor quality of milk is mastitis, which ranks first among the diseases causing substantial loss to the dairy farmers. Over the decades, its prevalence in dairy animals has increased alarmingly.
Mastitis is the inflammatory condition of the udder irrespective of causes. It causes changes in the milk colour and consistency. In mastitis, milk yield reduces abruptly, resulting heavy economic losses. High yielding dairy cows are more commonly affected than low yielding animals. Exotic and cross bred cows are more prone to mastitis than the Indian zebu cows.
Mastitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the cow’s mammary gland, which is usually caused by bacteria entering the teat canal and moving into the udder tissue. The toxins released by micro organism’s damage milk-secreting tissue and ducts throughout the mammary gland causing severe damage to the mammary tissue. Mastitis can occur at any stage of lactation, most commonly seen in the first month after calving and in late lactation.
Causes
A large number of species of microorganisms have been implicated as causes of mastitis. They are bacteria, fungus, Mycoplasma and virus.
The most important bacterial organisms causing mastitis are Staphylococcus aureus; Str.zooepidemicus, Str. Agalactiae, Str. Pyogenes, Klebsiella spp, Mycobacterium bovis, E.coli, Brucella abortus, Pseudomonas pyocyaneus, Pasteurella multocida.
The fungal organisms responsible for mastitis are Trichosporon spp, A.midulus, Candida spp, Aspergillus fumigatu.Hygiene, trauma, complete milking and teat injuries may predispose this condition.
Sypmtoms
The major clinical symptoms shown by animals having mastitis are as below:-
Swelling of udder as a hard mass.
Animal will not allow touching the udder and will kick while touching it.
Reduced milk yield
Swollen udder with hot and pain while touching it.
Milk mixed with blood.
Swollen and reddening of teats.
Milk mixed with yellow or brown fluid with flakes or clots with foul smelling.
Prevention
In mastitis prevention is better than control and in severe conditions the affected udder or all udders gets permanent irreparable and irreversible damage. Thus proper care should be taken to manage the mastitis in the animal or herd. Following prevention measure are very important to combat the condition.
Concrete floor should be avoided especially in case of high yielder. Bedding should be done with straw, saw dust or sand. Sand is the ideal bedding material since it has lower bacterial count.
Cow should be allowed in soft bedding following parturition.
Always the animal sheds should be clean.
Washing the udder and hand of the milker with antiseptic lotion (4% Pottasium permanganate solution) every time before and after milking.
The floor of the milking shed should be washed with running water.
The milker’s hand should be free from nail.
The healthy non-infected cows should be milked first and known infected cows should be milked at last.
Cleaning and disinfecting milking machine and the teat cup, vessels after each milking.
The first strip of milk should not be allowed to fall on the floor; they may be stripped in separate container along with disinfectants in it.
Newly introduced cow should be milked separately and should be screened through California Mastitis Test (CMT).
Immediately after milking should not allow the animal to lie-down by engaging with fodder.
The complete milking should be done at every time and milk should not be stored in teats.
Dipping of all teats following each milking with iodophor solution containing 1% available iodine or hypochlorite solution and Chlorhexidine in 0.5% to 1% polyvenylpyrrolidine solution.
The milking timings should be in a regular manner.
The udder and teats should be protected from any injuries.
Hygienic measures at milking time, udder preparation before milking, post milking teat disinfections have been recommended as preventive measures.
The frequently affected animals should be removed from the herd.
First aid:-
The milk from infected teat should be milked out daily three times and disposed safely outside.
Calf should not be allowed to suck the infected teat.
Application of ice cubes on the udder surface.
Proper antibiotic treatment along with symptomatic as well as supportive treatment under the guidance of qualified Veterinary Doctor.
https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/prevention-treatment-of-mastitis-in-dairy-cattle/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastitis_in_dairy_cattle
