Short-milking-tube infrared temperature as a subclinical mastitis detection tool in tropical dairy farms

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Our objective was to determine whether the infrared temperature of short-milking-tubes, as an estimator of milk temperature, differs between subclinically mastitic quarters with or without the presence of mastitis pathogens. Materials and Methods Individual mammary quarters (n = 121) with subclinical mastitis from 100 cows in 9 dairy herds in Puerto Rico were evaluated. Infrared images were taken from the short-milking-tube of each experimental quarter at 2 min after milking-unit attachment in 30-s intervals during the milking process. Relative humidity and ambient temperature were recorded at 1-min intervals using thermometer data loggers at the milking parlor during the milking process. Milk samples were collected for bacteriological analysis and SCC quantification. Molecular identification of mastitic pathogens was performed using the PathoProof Mastitis Complete-16 kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA). Results and Discussion The milk temperature, measured through the short-milking-tubes with an infrared camera during the milking process, was greater in mammary gland quarters with presence of mastitic pathogens relative to quarters with no pathogens detected. Hence, the use of infrared thermography might be a useful detection tool to discriminate between subclinically mastitic quarters with or without an active infection in dairy cows. Implications and Applications With more sensitive infrared thermography cameras and sophisticated systems, the infrared temperature of all mammary gland quarters can be collected simultaneously in a single image when imaging the short-milking-tubes as opposed to imaging the skin of the mammary gland, which requires several images to capture the temperature of all 4 quarters.