NE1009: Mastitis Resistance to Enhance Dairy Food Safety
Statement of Issues and Justification
Bovine mastitis is the most costly disease currently affecting dairy cattle. While significant advances have been made in controlling some types of mastitis, the complex etiology of the disease and ongoing changes in dairy practices dictate that new and more effective methods for control and treatment be developed. Single site studies are often limited in terms of expertise and cattle numbers. A multistate project provides these advantages.In the United States, the dairy industry contributes in excess of 65 billion dollars per year to the national economy, and provides jobs for 1.1 million Americans. The single most costly disease of dairy cattle and a major monetary drain on the dairy industry is bovine mastitis. Mastitis is defined as an inflammation of the mammary gland that is almost always associated with bacterial infection. Mastitis affects dairy cows on every dairy farm and approximately 38% of the dairy cows in the United States. The National Mastitis Council estimates that this devastating disease complex costs the dairy industry more than 2 billion dollars per year or approximately $180.00 per cow. These losses are primarily due to lost milk production, increased veterinary costs, increased cow morbidity and mortality, and discarded milk.
The purpose of NE-112 is to coordinate multidisciplinary research efforts on mastitis that are being conducted at various laboratories throughout the United States. The magnitude and scope of attempting to solve mastitis related problems extend far beyond the ability of any one institution. The ability to cooperate on a regional and national basis allows the integration of resources and knowledge on solutions for mastitis. Recognition of the need for a coordinated effort to study resistance of the dairy cow to mastitis resulted in the design and initiation of Multistate Project NE-112. The NE-112 project has provided a forum for new and established researchers to develop collaborative relationships, and to share resources and expertise. In the past several years, we have initiated joint projects, which were conceived, developed, and run through the auspices of the NE-112 project. These have included a study of the epidemiology of Streptococcal bacteria, an investigation of associations between cow factors at dry-off and during the dry period and intramammary infections (IMI) in the subsequent lactation, and a collaborative heifer mastitis project. In the current project, we will continue to develop and execute joint studies on current topics through this group.
The mastitis research workers group has met in conjunction with the NE-112 annual meeting for many years, and in recent years, the mastitis research workers topics have been included in NE-112 minutes, showing current active areas of research by NE-112 members. International visitors and collaborators are often included in these presentations. In the present proposal, we have included the mastitis group from the Ontario Veterinary College, Canada, as a member.
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