Studies into subclinical mastitis in cattle and buffaloes in Kafr EI-Sheil'h Governorate

Abstract

Bovine mastitis is globally recognized as one of the major diseases of

.economic significance confronting the dairy industry. The subclinical form is responsible for major losses including decrease of milk yield, reduce milk quality and increase the culling percent from the herd. From the Public Health point of view, mastitis is considered of quite vital importance due to its association with many zoonotic diseases in which the milk acts as a vehicle of infection.

In the present study, a total of 88 apparently healthy lactating animals (45 cows and 43 buffaloes) were examined for detection of subclinical mastitis at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate.

Three hundred and fifty two individual milk samples (180 of cows and 172 of buffaloes) were examined for pH value, Chlorine percent, Gel. tests, Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Count (DMSCC), Electrical Conductivity (EC) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)activity, besides bacteriological examination (standard method for diagnosis of mastitis.)

Bacteriological examination revealed isolation of the following microorganisms; Staph.aureus, Staph.epidermidis, E.coli, Streph.agalacia, Strept.dysgalactia, and Strept.uberis from cows with the following percentages; 40.90%, 11.36%, 18.20%, .11.36%, 4.55%, 6.82% respectively, .. and from buffaloes with the following respective percentages; 26.67%,

20.00o/o, 15.56%, 11.11 o/o, 4.44o/o, 4.44o/o. Corynbacterium bovis, Klebsiella pneumonae, Enterobacter aerogens, Candida albicans also were isolated in a