MO A s mastitis researchers examine and review herd health problems on dairy farms, statistics characterize the major issues.
Surveys indicate mastitis still is the most likely animal health issue to trouble a dairy farm.
New dairies differ from those of the past in terms of herd size, housing systems, production levels, milking systems and management approaches. While there is a somewhat different pattern to present day mastitis problems, certain mastitis organisms, recognized as problems many years ago, continue to survive and trouble present day dairies. F or many dairies, mastitis caused by the environmental species of bacteria, such as the coliforms and environmental Streptococci , is a serious problem. These may be related, at least in part, to the high stocking densities in many of the new facilities and cattle are routinely exposed to high concentrations of these bacteria. These organisms tend to produce a high incidence of clinical cases of mastitis.