Mastitis Occurrence Pattern in Dairy Cows and Importance of Related Risk Factors in the Occurrence of Mastitis

Mastitis in dairy animals is a most prevalent disease of livestock, which is challenging to field veterinarians and dairy farmers. The present study was planned to understand the occurrence pattern of subclinical mastitis (SCM) and clinical mastitis (CM) in lactating cows at organized and unorganized farms in Jammu region with possible role of risk factors in the development of mastitis. A total 2200 quarters of 550 cows were screened by Modified California Mastitis Test (mCMT) during 2016–17. The occurrence rate of SCM and CM was 59.00% and 13.50%, respectively, while quarter-wise prevalence was 42.65% and 10.87%. In the present study, subclinical mastitis (SCM) occurrence rate was higher at unorganized farms (65.08%) than at organized farms (51.82%). Out of 550 and 650 cows at organized and unorganized dairy farms, 11.09% and 15.54% animals showed clinical mastitis signs at organized and unorganized dairy farms, respectively. In Jammu region large numbers of dairymen (63.46%) have small herds (1–5 heads/herd) and about 1.92% only dairymen's have ≥11 heads per herd that ranged from 11 to 95 heads per herd. Cows between 6 to 9 years old had higher prevalence of mastitis and showed increasing trend of mastitis with increasing age and parity. Animal in late stage of lactation showed high prevalence rate of mastitis followed by in early and mid lactation in both managemental practices. Present study concluded that higher occurrence rate of mastitis is an alarming situation for dairy farmers, hence this is the high time to control the this dreadly diseases of dairy animals.