Investigation of body and udder skin surface temperature differentials as an early indicator of mastitis in Holstein Friesian crossbred cows using digital infrared thermography technique.

M Sathiyabarathi,G Jayaprakash,M Sivaram,Heartwin A Pushpadass,Tapas Kumar Patbandha,K P Ramesha,Mukund A Kataktalware,S Jeyakumar,A Manimaran,D N Das

doi:10.14202/vetworld.2016.1386-1391

Abstract

Aim:The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of infrared thermography (IRT) technique and its interrelationship with conventional mastitis indicators for the early detection of mastitis in Holstein Friesian (HF) crossbred cows.Materials and Methods:A total of 76 quarters of lactating HF crossbred (Bos indicus × Bos taurus) cows (n=19) were monitored for body temperature (i.e., eye temperature) and udder skin surface temperature (USST) before milking using forward-looking infrared (FLIR) i5 camera. Milk samples were collected from each quarter and screened for mastitis using Somatic Cell Count (SCC), Electrical Conductivity (EC), and California mastitis test. Thermographic images were analyzed using FLIR Quick Report 1.2 image analysis software. Data on body and USST were compiled and analyzed statistically using SPSS 16.0 and Sigmaplot 11.Results:The mean±standard deviation (SD) body (37.23±0.08°C) and USST (37.22±0.04°C) of non-mastitic cow did not differ significantly; however, the mean USST of the mastitis-affected quarters were significantly higher than the body temperature and USST of unaffected quarters (p<0.001). The mean±SD USST of the subclinical mastitis (SCM) and clinical mastitis-affected quarters were 38.08±0.17 °C and 38.25±0.33 °C, respectively, which is 0.72 and 1.05 °C higher than the USST temperature of unaffected quarters. The USST was positively correlated with EC (r=0.95) and SCC (r=0.93). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a higher sensitivity for USST in early prediction of SCM with a cut-off value of >37.61°C.Conclusion:It is concluded that infrared thermal imaging technique could be used as a potential noninvasive, quick cow-side diagnostic technique for screening and early detection of SCM and clinical mastitis in crossbred cows.

Highlights

India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5% of world milk production, achieving an annual output of 146.3 million tons during 2014-15 as compared to 137.69 million tons during 2013-14 recording a growth of 6.26%
There are several techniques and biomarkers are available for early detection of changes in milk associated with subclinical mastitis (SCM) and clinical mastitis
The udder skin surface temperature (USST) was positively correlated with Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Somatic Cell Count (SCC) (0.95 and 0.93)

Summary

Introduction

India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5% of world milk production, achieving an annual output of 146.3 million tons during 2014-15 as compared to 137.69 million tons during 2013-14 recording a growth of 6.26%. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Agriculture Organization [1] has reported that 3.1% increase in world milk production from 765 million tons in 2013 to 789 million tons in 2014. With the increase in milk production, there is increase in the incidence of production diseases especially mastitis [2]

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