Mastitis control during lactation increases milk quality
It goes without saying that the immune system of dairy animals plays a crucial role in their susceptibility to diseases, such as mastitis, and has a direct impact in milk production and quality. The vulnerability of the animals’ immune system increases during the calving phase, and this may trigger a response of the udder to both infectious and non-infectious stressors. Therefore, tackling mastitis is paramount.
In the past, diagnosis was based on clinical examination and the presence of somatic cells on the milk. However, new examination procedures and sensor techniques can help to increase the diagnosis’ accuracy.
When it comes to antimicrobials in the global dairy sector the International Dairy Federation (IDF) promotes its prudent and responsible use to ensure that they remain effective and useful in treating animal diseases.
In this context, IDF participates in the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance in a One Health approach as a private sector partner to advise and advocate for prioritised policy actions to mitigate drug-resistant infections through responsible and sustainable access to and use of antimicrobials.
IDF has developed several tools to tackle mastitis. These include:
- The IDF definitions of new and cured cases of mastitis aim to help farmers and veterinarians decide when to prudently treat.
- The IDF Guide to Prudent Use of Antimicrobial Agents in Dairy Production and the global dairy position are the key documents.
- The IDF Animal Health Report highlights dairy farm care programmes around the world that are also resulting in reduced antimicrobial use.
- For a dairy farmer to be successful at producing milk of good quality, the welfare needs of dairy animals must be met. In this regard, IDF promotes the implementation of good animal welfare practices in dairy production at global scale and refers to key Standards. If you want to know more, please see Bulletin of the IDF N° 498/2019: The IDF Guide to Good Animal Welfare in Dairy Production 2.0
Laurence Rycken holds a Masters in biomedical science option nutrition. Laurence is trilingual and has an in-depth knowledge of the international food policy scene. She also has a vast understanding of the sustainability debate, from a holistic perspective and the occurring tradeoffs.
