Mastitis As Prevalent As 30 Years Ago

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30448, 23 May 1964, Page 8

Mastitis As Prevalent As 30 Years Ago

Mastitis was just as prevalent now as it was 30 years ago and the indiscriminate use of. antibiotics would not control it, Mr E. O. Brookbanks, veterinary advisory officer (mastisis), of the Department of Agriculture, Hamilton, said in an address to the dairy section of the Lincoln farmers’ conference this week.

Thirty years ago 35 per cent of all cows in New Zealand were suffering from sub-

clinical mastitis and at present the figure had increased slightly to 37} per .cent in spite of all the advances in scientific and medical knowledge.

The incidence of clinical mastitis closely paralleled the sub-clinical disease, said Mr Brookbanks.

“It is very disappointing that the incidence of the disease has not dropped over such a long period,” he said. “Veterinarians and farmers alike must bear the responsibility for this situation. The veterinarians have been too few and have concentrated on clinical, rather than preventive medicine. Farmers in general have been content to buy vast quantities of antibiotics for treatment of mastitis, instead of concentrating their energies in pursuing a policy of prevention. “One adverse result is the increase. in detectable amounts of antibiotics found in milk and the introduction of severe penalties to prevent this occurring,” Mr Brookbanks said. Mastitis would only be controlled by strict attention to milking management, a more scientific approach to treatment and the adoption of thorough hygenic measures, he said. Poor milking management wa sa major factor in many outbreaks of staphylococcal mastitis. The most common fault was over-mliking. This was often due to one man trying to handle too many cows. Another fault commonly seen by Mr Brookbanks was the lack of efficient pre-milk-ing stimulation of the udder. Research work had shown that good stimulation increased production and allowed quicker and more complete milking. Personal hygiene, elean premises and the prevention of spread of the disease from cow to cow were other important factors if the incidence of mastitis was to be reduced, he said.