Strategies for Preventing Environmental Mastitis in Dairy Farming: A Review

Abstract

The dairy industry must adhere to stringent international standards due to the growing demand for healthy, high-quality, and affordable dairy products worldwide. To ensure the quality of raw milk, key markers such as Bulk Milk Somatic Cell Count (BMSCC) and Total Bacterial Count (BMTBC) have become standard benchmarks. However, mastitis, the most common disease affecting dairy cows, poses a significant risk to both animal welfare and the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector. Mastitis leads to reduced milk production, increased treatment costs, milk withholding during treatment, higher labor requirements, and premature culling of affected cows. In India alone, mastitis costs the dairy industry 2.37 billion rupees annually, with subclinical mastitis accounting for approximately 70% of this loss. While contagious infections have been effectively controlled, environmental mastitis pathogens such as Streptococcus uberis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella spp now pose the primary concern for mastitis control. The management of cow bedding materials is crucial as they serve as a significant source of exposure to these environmental infections. This review study provides a detailed discussion of environmental mastitis pathogen control, emphasizing the critical role of bedding materials in reducing the risk of exposure to these pathogens.