Prevalence of Bovine Mastitis and Its Effect on Farm Economic Return in Dairy Farms in Holeta

Research Article

Austin J Vet Sci & Anim Husb. 2023; 10(4): 1127.

Prevalence of Bovine Mastitis and Its Effect on Farm Economic Return in Dairy Farms in Holeta

Tadele Abebe¹; Ebisa Mezgebu²*

¹Wanchi Woreda Veterinary Clinic, South West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

²Animal Health Institute, Sebeta, Ethiopia

*Corresponding author: Ebisa Mezgebu Animal Health Institute, PO Box: 04, Sebeta, Ethiopia. Tel: +251 93 232 0809 Email: ebisamnaf@gmail.com

Received: July 03, 2023 Accepted: August 07, 2023 Published: August 14, 2023

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to March 2015 to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, and effect of bovine mastitis on economic return in dairy farms in Holeta, Ethiopia. It was carried out on 384 dairy cows based on a data collection questionnaire survey, clinical examination, and California Mastitis Test. The overall prevalence of mastitis was 65.1% (n=250); where 25.8% (n=99) and 39.3% (n=151) was clinical and subclinical cases, respectively. The prevalence among successive stages of lactation was 65.6%, 60.3%, and 68.9% in early, mid, and late lactation respectively and it was statistically significant (P<0.05). Mastitis prevalence in first, second, third, fourth, and more than fourth parities was 68.5%, 61.5%, 58.7%, and 71.5%, respectively. The prevalence of mastitis was 78.3%, 60.3% and 68.9% in cows of age greater than 8, 5-8 and less than 5 years respectively. Retrospective data related to treatment costs, discarded milk during the course of treatment, and culled cows due to chronic mastitis in Holeta from 2013 to 2014 was analyzed to estimate the annual economic loss due to mastitis in four dairy farms. The study estimated the annual economic loss of bovine mastitis from 10,044.18 - 15,280.28 birr. Out of this, the total economic loss per cow to treat mastitis was 63.29-139.00 birr and the cost due to discarded milk during the course of treatment was 128.00-535.95 birr per head of a cow. The economic loss due to culled cow and replacement was 9,500-14,666 birr. This study concluded that mastitis is a major health problem of dairy cows in Holeta which undoubtedly affect farm economic return of dairy farms and hence warrants serious attention.

Keywords: Cow; Mastitis; Economic loss; Prevalence; Holeta

Abbreviations: a.s.l: Above Sea Level; Co: Degree Centigrade; CMT: California Mastitis Test; CSA: Central Statistical Agency; Km2: Kilometer Square; M: Meter; MmHg: Millimeters of Mercury; X2: Chi-Square

Introduction

Livestock production has been considered as major economic sector and it will continue in the future in most parts of the world. Livestock and livestock products play a great role for the livelihood of society; serve as source of milk, meat, hide and skin [1]. Ethiopia has many livestock species suitable for livestock production. It is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa. An estimate indicates that the country is a home for about 54 million cattle, 25.5 million sheep, 24.06 million goats and enormous amount of other animals. From the total cattle population 98.95% are local breeds and the remaining are hybrid and exotic breeds [2].

Ethiopia has great potential for increased livestock production, both for domestic use and for export. However, expansion of this sub-sector is constrained by inadequate livestock feed; high prevalence of infectious and non-infectious diseases; and inadequate support services in research and extension [3]. Udder is a productive organ of dairy animals; hence for better production it should be healthy. Because of its anatomical position the udder is subject to outside influences and is prone to both inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions. Mastitis is one of the infectious diseases of a dairy cow and occurs throughout the world wherever dairy cows are found, which causes a hugeloss in milk and milk products. Mastitis is a multietiological complex disease, which is defined as inflammation of parenchyma of mammary glands and is characterized by physical, chemical and usually bacteriological changes in milk and pathological changes in glandular tissues [4].

The continuing presence of the disease may be attributed to deficient management, improper milking procedures, faulty milking equipment, inadequate housing, and breeding for ever-increasing milk yield. All of these factors are probably involved, although herd investigations often fail to incriminate specific factors. It is important to recognize that mastitis is an infectious disease and that all methods of commercial milk production may provide suitable conditions for spreading mastitis organisms from cow to cow. A considerable body of evidence has accumulated suggesting that several management and environmental factors must interact together to increase exposure of cows to mastitis organisms, reduce the cows natural resistance to disease, or aid organisms in gaining entrance through the teat canal to milk secreting tissues of the udder where it cause infection [5].

Bovine mastitis remains a major cause of economic losses in dairy herds and the industry [6] and it is still one of the three main diseases that affect the profitability of dairy farmers, lameness and fertility are the other two [7]. Mastitis is of great economic importance to milk producers, because the disease has negative impact on several important aspects of cow and herd performance. Incurred costs are of both direct and indirect nature. Direct costs include veterinary costs, increased labor requirement, discarded milk (during the course of treatments), and reduced milk yield and quality. Indirect costs are those that are not always obvious to the milk producer, and are therefore referred to as hidden costs. Indirect costs include increased risk of subsequent disorders, reduced fertility (extra services per conception and, as a result of this, an extended calving interval), increased risk of culling, and, occasionally, mortality. The total cost of mastitis can, consequently, be much higher than the direct cost. The cost associated with each component is likely to vary between herds; partly because of differences in performance parameters (yield level, fertility, etc.) and partly because of different preferences of farmers influencing, for instance, inclination to contact a veterinarian when mastitis is detected [8].

Mastitis has been the most economically important dairy cow disease in Ethiopia due to either direct or indirect costs but studies are still sparse particularly those that determine the effect of mastitis on farm economic return. Therefore, the objectives of the study were:

¾To determine the prevalence of mastitis and association of some potential risk factors in dairy farms in Holeta.

¾To assess the economic loss associated with clinical and subclinical mastitis in Holeta dairy farms.

Materials and Methods

Study Area

This study was conducted in Holeta Oromia National Regional State from November 2014 to March, 2015. Holeta is located between 9°3’ north latitude and 38°30’ east longitudes and located at 40 km from Addis Ababa. The elevation of the city measures 2400 meter above sea level. The annual average temperature is 19°C with a temperature range of 16°C -22°C and the average annual rain fall is 1100 mm. The highest rainfall concentration occurs from June to September and the mean monthly relative humidity varies from 60% in August to 40% in December [2] (Figure 1).