Advances in Diagnostic Approaches and Therapeutic Management in Bovine Mastitis

Simple Summary Mastitis refers to the inflammation of the mammary parenchyma, caused by more than 136 microorganisms. It poses several challenges for farmers, veterinary clinicians, and researchers to understand and determine the most effective diagnostic tools and treatment protocols. This article discusses the clinical relevance, the causative pathogens, the economic factors involved, basic and advanced diagnostic techniques, and alternative therapeutic protocols required to control mastitis economically. There is a need to apply novel therapeutic technologies to overcome the challenges of traditional antibiotic-based therapies. These alternative therapeutic options could be supportive or additional options alongside conventional antibiotics-based therapies. Mastitis causes huge economic losses to dairy farmers worldwide, which largely negatively affects the quality and quantity of milk. Mastitis decreases overall milk production, degrades milk quality, increases milk losses because of milk being discarded, and increases overall production costs due to higher treatment and labour costs and premature culling. This review article discusses mastitis with respect to its clinical epidemiology, the pathogens involved, economic losses, and basic and advanced diagnostic tools that have been used in recent times to diagnose mastitis effectively. There is an increasing focus on the application of novel therapeutic approaches as an alternative to conventional antibiotic therapy because of the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics, emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, issue of antibiotic residues in the food chain, food safety issues, and environmental impacts. This article also discussed nanoparticles'/chitosan's roles in antibiotic-resistant strains and ethno-veterinary practices for mastitis treatment in dairy cattle.