Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How can genetic selection help prevent mastitis in dairy cows?
By Weigel, Kent A & Shook, George E·Published in The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice·2018·Department of Dairy Science, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Genetic Selection for Mastitis Resistance.
Plain-English summary
Mastitis is a common and expensive infection that affects dairy cows. Better management and cleanliness on farms can help lower the chances of cows getting this infection, but choosing cows with genetics that make them less likely to get mastitis can lead to lasting improvements. For the past 30 years, countries in the Nordic region have been able to directly select breeding bulls from families that have fewer cases of clinical mastitis, while other countries have focused on selecting cows based on lower cell counts in their milk. Recently, by combining data from various farm management software, dairy farmers in the U.S. and other top dairy-producing countries can now also select for cows that are less likely to develop mastitis. This approach aims to improve the overall health of dairy herds.
Abstract
Mastitis is a prevalent and costly disease on dairy farms. Improved management and hygiene can reduce the risk of infection by contagious or environmental pathogens, and genetic selection can confer permanent improvement in mastitis resistance. National veterinary recording systems in the Nordic countries have allowed direct selection for sire families with low incidence of clinical mastitis for 3 decades, whereas other countries have practiced indirect selection for lower somatic cell count. Recently, pooling of producer-recorded data from on-farm herd management software programs has enabled selection for reduced incidence of clinical mastitis in the United States and other leading dairy countries.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30316503/