Role of opportunistic fungi in mastitis of dairy animals

Mastitis is a global health problem of lactating animals. The disease still remains one of the important diseases in dairy herds causing profound financial losses to the milk production. The etiology of mastitis involves multiple infectious agents. Some of the mastitogens have public health significance. Among the fungi, yeasts mainly Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, and Cryptococcus neoformans are frequently isolated from the mastitic milk of dairy animals. Diagnosis of mycotic mastitis should be confirmed by employing standard mycological techniques. Management of mycotic mastitis requires immediate withdrawal of antibacterial therapy, early institution of antifungal drugs, good milking hygiene practice and sanitation of animal sheds. The additional studies on the etiologic role of opportunistic fungi in clinical as well as subclinical mastitis in milch animals will be highly rewarding. In addition, attempts should also be directed on the development of safe, cheaper and effective drug to treat the cases of fungal mastitis in dairy animals. The routine application of Pal's sunflower seed medium and Narayan stain in microbiology laboratory will help in the study of opportunistic fungi which are implicated in many clinical disorders of humans and animals.