Nordic Mastitis Researchers’ Network develops strategy for Scandinavian dairy sector

University of Helsinki, Finland Professor of Milk Hygiene and Cattle Health Päivi Rajala-Schultz has called her decision to found the Nordic Mastitis Researchers’ Network a ‘somewhat selfish’ act, but the resulting organization has helped Scandinavian researchers identify knowledge gaps and research needs. It has also prepared them for their next great task: to update Nordic guidelines for mastitis treatments while putting more emphasis on the prudent use of antibiotics and the value of selective dry cow therapy. 

When Rajala-Schultz went off to the United States to do her PhD at Cornell University, she had always planned on returning home to Finland following graduation. Fate, it seems, had a different plan. While there, she met the man who would soon become her husband, and following graduation, chose to remain in the United State. The choice made sense because not long after defending her thesis she was offered a job at Ohio State University as an assistant professor. She would remain there for the next nearly 16 years, eventually moving into a role as full professor. When Rajala-Schultz finally returned home in 2015, more than 20 years later, she found herself feeling disconnected from her Scandinavian colleagues and knew little about what they were doing.

“I wanted to reconnect with my Nordic colleagues again, and I thought, ‘Well, we should probably do something together,’” she said.

Rajala-Schultz called up colleagues in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland to see if they’d be interested in getting together. Enthusiasm was enough that she decided to apply for finances to help fund the network. In 2018, the newly founded Nordic Mastitis Researchers’ Network was approved for funding through the Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ).

“We actually got two grants from them, the first one of which funded us from 2017 to 2019,” recalled Rajala-Schultz.

Initially, the group was headed by four individuals: Karin Persson Waller from Sweden; Ane Nødtvedt from Norway; Tariq Halasa from Denmark; and Päivi Rajala-Schultz from Finland. The primary objective of the group was – and still is – to enhance collaboration, competitiveness and profitability in Nordic dairy production. This, they believed, could be done by encouraging cooperation and networks; helping to develop national, Nordic and European policy; and promoting Nordic interests in the European research arena. They also aimed to provide support for joint Nordic cooperation on research and innovation in the agriculture and food sector.

The network’s first goal was to identify knowledge gaps in Nordic mastitis research, and to determine research needs related to udder health and milk quality improvement in the Nordic countries. They also aimed to prepare a statement paper to highlight the uniqueness of the Nordic know-how and experience in controlling mastitis in dairy. But the main activity of the open network has been the annual seminar, the first one of which took place in Uppsala, Sweden in 2018.

“The first one was really trying to identify the knowledge gaps and research needs for udder health and milk quality research in Nordic countries,” said Rajala-Schultz.

The agenda for each year’s program is fairly standard and includes short, scientific presentations of ongoing projects on udder health and mastitis. “We particularly encourage young scientists or graduate students to present,” Rajala-Schultz added. “Anybody can present, but specifically we are always hoping to get graduate students to present.”

Along with scientific presentations, at each seminar the network leaders aim to organize workshops and facilitate small-group discussions on hot button issues. Each of the meetings has a theme under which a few longer presentations fall. The second seminar, for example, focused on mastitis treatments and drying off practices. It was held in Tuusula, Finland in 2019.

The following year, the seminar had been scheduled to take place in Norway, but was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, the third seminar was hosted online in 2021. Organized by the network’s Norwegian members, the seminar’s main theme was communication. One of the results of the initial survey found that communication between veterinarians and producers needed improvement, Rajala-Schultz explained. Members of the group had expressed the need for better strategies to connect with and motivate change in the more difficult-to-reach farmers.

“Certain problems on the farm, no matter how much you try to encourage the farmers to make changes, they just don’t always happen,” said Rajala-Schultz.

To follow up on this, speakers were brought in to offer tips and tricks on how to improve farmer-veterinarian relations through motivational interviewing techniques and communication strategies.

Last year, the group hosted a hybrid meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, the focus of which was on antimicrobial resistance. This September, the group returned to Uppsala, Sweden for the fifth seminar. The theme for that meeting focused on treatment protocols and minimizing the use of antibiotics. While each seminar has an overarching theme, participants are encouraged to present on any topic related to mastitis or udder health.

Participation in the annual seminar is limited to mastitis researchers and dairy farm advisors. The event draws about 40 participants each year.

Nordic network for Nordic challenges

When asked what made the Nordic dairy sectors different from their counterparts in Europe, Rajala-Schultz said some issues they face are specific to the north. For example, antibiotic use is already very restricted in Scandinavia, meaning there are very few options available for use. Penicillin is the drug of choice and beyond that, some intramammary products with cloxacillin and ampicillin are available, said Rajala-Schultz. However, no third-generation cephalosporins are available for use, she added.

Furthermore, average herd size in the Nordic countries is quite small. In Finland, for example, herds average around 50 head of milking cattle, and only a little over 10% of herds have more than 100 cows. However, approximately 50% of milk is produced in herds using automatic milking systems.

Rajala-Schultz is happy with how the group has progressed and developed since its inception. They’ve met their goal of producing a statement paper that highlights the uniqueness of the Nordic know-how and experience in controlling mastitis in dairy. That paper, entitled Prudent Use of Antibiotics in Dairy Cows: The Nordic Approach to Udder Health, was published in March of 2021 in Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine.

Next, the group will take on the challenge of updating the Nordic guidelines for mastitis treatments, first compiled in 2009.

“That’s one thing we’re hoping to get done with this project,” said Rajala-Schultz.

Initial funding runs out at the end of the year, making the network’s future uncertain. But the group hopes to obtain further funding to continue their efforts. It has, after all, yielded positive results far beyond Rajala-Schultz’s initial goal of reconnecting with colleagues. The Nordic Mastitis Researchers’ Network has done what it set out to do, and that is to build a strong foundation that aims to improve udder health and milk quality by reducing incidence of mastitis. No matter what Rajala-Schultz says, no one would call that selfish.