MILQ - Proactive Mastitis Detection

India is the world's largest milk producer, with 24% of the total milk produced worldwide in 2021-2022. Although India is the largest milk-producing country in the world, per capita milk availability remains low. One of the main reasons for this is the unhygienic environment and lack of safety during handling, which have led to some challenges in the dairy sector, including diseases in cattle. Among all the diseases, mastitis is the prevalent condition that has caused significant economic loss to the dairy industry and severe pain to cattle.

Mastitis, which refers to the inflammation of the mammary glands, involves changes in the gland tissue and glandular secretions, causing physical and chemical alterations, respectively. Invasion of pathogenic organisms via the teat canal could be associated with environmental contamination, unsanitary conditions, and rarely systemic infections.

Mastitis is caused by major pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, E. coli, Streptococcus bovis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Klebsiella pneumonia. However, minor pathogens like Proteus spp., Brucella abortus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Mycoplasma spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Nocardia spp., Pasteurella spp., Prototheca zopfii, Corynebacterium bovis, Prototheca wickerhamii, and yeast can also contribute to the transmission of mastitis from subclinical to the next stage. S. aureus, in particular, plays a significant role in causing subclinical mastitis, accounting for 25.64 percent in specific mastitis, 12.24 percent in latent cases, and due to its adaptational talent in surviving extreme environments. ?

The principal factors influencing the spread of mastitis are the region's agro-climatic conditions, people's socio-cultural practices, poor adopted sanitation and hygiene practices, lack of timely veterinary services, and farmer's low level of literacy. Among them, lack of sanitation and hygiene accounts for 67.86 percent of the cases, which in turn causes an upsurge in the pathogen responsible for mastitis.

A comprehensive study by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) estimated that the annual economic loss due to mastitis in India is around ?13,000 crores (approximately USD 1.6 billion) from reduced milk production, increased processing costs, and the rejection of milk containing antibiotic residues.

Additional studies conducted in various Indian states have estimated similar economic losses. For example, a study in Punjab found annual losses of ?1,200 to ?1,500 per cow, totaling ?300 to ?400 crores. In Tamil Nadu, losses were estimated at ?1,000 to ?1,200 per cow per lactation, totaling ?200 to ?250 crores. In Maharashtra, losses were estimated at ?800 to ?1,000 per cow per lactation, totaling ?200 to ?300 crores. In Karnataka, losses were estimated at ?250 to ?350 crores annually, with a per-cow loss of ?1,200 to ?1,400.

Mastitis not only reduces the quantity of milk but also affects its quality by increasing the somatic cell count (SCC), which leads to lower prices and reduced consumer trust in dairy products. The presence of antibiotic residues due to mastitis treatment further leads to milk being discarded, compounding economic losses.

Mastitis poses a significant economic burden on India’s dairy industry, with losses running into thousands of crores annually. The financial impact is felt more acutely by smallholder farmers, who may lack the resources to effectively manage the disease. Addressing mastitis proactively through EnviroChem Services' MILQ - Proactive Mastitis Detection is crucial to reducing these economic losses.