Prevalence and risk factors of bovine mastitis in intensively managed dairy

Abstract

The bovine mastitis continues to pose a major problem for the dairy sector, affecting both milk production as well as overall animal health. This clinical report investigated the prevalence of mastitis in dairy herds focusing on the associations with management and hygiene practices of farms. Key risk factors associated with mastitis were identified as bedding materials post-dipping and udder hygiene. A total of 357 lactating cow from 15 different dairy farms in Chattogram district were investigated. The duration of the study was from February to July, 2023. The study revealed that 93.33% of the dairy farms had at least one cow affected by mastitis. The prevalence of mastitis in 357 lactating cows was 12.89%. Of 5.4% cows with bedding materials and 18.19% of cows without bedding materials suffered from mastitis. Mastitis was observed in 11.87% and 30% respectively when the cows were milked under full hand milking and knuckling method. Almost similar rate of mastitis were observed whether the floor was cleaned 1 to 3 times or 4 to 6 times per day. Farms with concrete floors had 13.63% of cows with mastitis, while those with brick floors had 9.85% affected by mastitis. Post-dipping, bedding materials, udder hygiene were found significantly associated with mastitis (P<0.05). There was no significant relationship between mastitis and both pre-dipping and floor type were found (P>0.05). These findings provide valuable insights into addressing mastitis issues in the dairy industry. Improvement of management and hygienic practices is one of the most effective ways that dairy farmers can reduce the incidence of mastitis and gain significant benefits