That makes accurate diagnosis very important. Segregate infected cows into a separate group, as infections frequently spread from these cows to clean cows during the milking process. Infections can also be spread by some free-stall surfaces or bedding practices. Monitor somatic cell and bacterial counts. Summary Mastitis results from a complex interrelationship between the environment, the cow, and a host of bacterial or other pathogenic organisms.
Mastitis severity is defined as clinical or subclinical in individual cases.
The disease exists at different levels in all herds. The level can be measured by somatic cell count interpretation. The benefits of a good mastitis control program are well documented. Failure to use an effective control program is costly. Losses include reduced milk production, elevated culling losses, added veterinary expense, milk discarded due to drug residues, and extra labor to handle or treat infected cows.