Review on Current Diagnostic Methods of Bovine Mastitis

Abstract

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammalian gland, and it is a commercially significant ailment in the dairy industry worldwide. Based on the source, it can be either contagious or environmental; on the other hand, clinical and subclinical mastitis are based on their severity. The most important step between disease etiology and cure is accurate disease diagnosis. A cost-effective, dependable, and quick diagnostic instrument is essential for udder health management. Therefore, the objective of this article is to review current diagnostic methods for bovine mastitis. The diagnostic methods include clinical diagnosis, microscopically examined specimens, conventional methods, power of hydrogen (pH) tests, microbial culture, molecular methods, and those based on emerging technology. Conventional methods like the strip cup test, California mastitis test, Wisconsin mastitis test, somatic cell count test, and electrical conductivity test are used as screening tests that are not specific to any pathogen. Microbial culture-based methods are the gold standard for identifying mastitis pathogens and are frequently used, but they have some drawbacks. Advanced molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction and its version, loop-mediated amplification, are used for the identification of causative agents at the strain level. Emerging technologies such as infrared thermography and biosensors have the potential to match or surpass the diagnostic methods mentioned above concerning sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy, and realism. Emerging technologies are growing at a fast pace to diagnose human cases, but applications for the veterinary market, and specifically, for the diagnosis of mastitis, remain limited. Both specializations in training and experience in the interpretation of results are needed for implementing advanced technologies for efficient mastitis diagnosis and improving udder health management. It should be better to adopt and employ advanced diagnostic methods, such as advanced molecular tests and emerging technology.