Is bovine mastitis being reduced?

The International Dairy Federation has carried out surveys of its member countries at five year intervals in an attempt to quantify the mastitis situation and monitor progress in control. The survey takes the form of a questionnaire which has gradually expanded and now includes questions on the dairy cow population, mastitis control schemes, monitoring procedures, mastitis control measures, milk payment, progress in mastitis control and future plans. Nine countries replied to the first questionnaire in 1973; by 1994 this had increased to 24 countries. Data on mastitis cell counts have been available in some countries from the first survey, but seven countries were still unable to provide national data in 1994. Most of the available data demonstrate a reduction in national average cell counts. In the 1994 survey 13 countries recorded a reduced cell count since 1990 although 21 considered there had been definite or some improvement recently. Few data are available on the national situation on subclinical and clinical mastitis, and comparative information is rare. In the same survey the prevalence of subclinical mastitis had been reduced in three of seven countries since 1990 and the incidence of clinical mastitis in two of six countries. These data indicate little progress in reducing mastitis in recent years.