Mastitis in Dairy Cattle in India

Abstract

Mastitis is multi factorial and a costly problem affecting all milk producing ruminants in India Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to it. As per 2006 estimates referred in ICAR’s National Agricultural Innovation Project, the estimated annual loss due to mastitis alone is nearly Rs16,702 millions. Mastitis reduces milk yield and alters its composition. The magnitude of these changes in individual animal varies with the severity and duration of the infection and the causative microorganisms. Mastitis is almost always caused by bacteria. These microorganisms produce toxins which directly damage milk-producing tissue of the mammary gland, and the presence of bacteria initiates inflammation within the mammary tissue in an attempt to eliminate the invading microorganisms. The inflammation contributes to decreased milk production and is primarily responsible for the compositional changes observed in milk from infected quarters and cows. In general, compositional changes involve an increase in blood components present in milk and a decrease in normal milk constituents.