Mastitis lessens productivity and puts the whole dairy operation at risk. It is one of those conditions that become costlier if left untreated. Now, what if you could detect it early on? The Dairy Site just published an article with multiple options to help diagnose mastitis earlier.

While a California mastitis test will tell you that a cow has an elevated cell count. It does not tell you what type of organism is causing the problem. Identifying what bacteria is present will make treating the cow easier.

Dr. John Middleton, the professor at the University of Missouri says “Culture-independent techniques, such as PCR, can also be used to diagnose the bacteria that are in the mammary gland. We can use culture-independent techniques on the mammary quarter level. We can use those at the cow level, and we can use those at the bulk tank level.”

In an interview at the international meeting for the National Mastitis Council, which was held in Milano, Italy, Dr. Middleton said culture-independent PCR-based techniques probably work well because most likely, contagious pathogens are harbored by the cow. That means the cow is a reservoir. Click here for the full article.

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Rick Pascual, CPC/ PRC • Dairy Recruiter

Rick Pascual is the Dairy and Beef Recruiter for the Animal Health and Nutrition division. He recruits in sales, technical and management professionals in ruminant nutrition and health. His clients include feed manufacturers, feed additive, international biotechnology, and animal health companies.

Visit his LinkedIn profile for more information and to stay updated with news about recent dairy trends. Send your resume to Rick at rick@continentalsearch.com. Call him at (302) 544-9288.