MASTITIS RESISTANCE TO ENHANCE DAIRY FOOD SAFETY

Mastitis remains a very prevalent problem on dairy farms, and negatively impacts animal health, well-being, product quality and economic performance. Prevention and treatment of mastitis continue to account for the majority of antibiotic use on dairy farms. Numerous countries, as well as food processors, wholesalers, and retailers have proposed or mandated the reduction of antibiotic use in animal agriculture, including dairy, so it is reasonable to expect that this pressure will increasingly come to bear in Pennsylvania and the USA more broadly. Therefore, in order to effectively address animal health, animal well-being, product quality, and consumer concerns, efforts must be made to reduce new cases of mastitis, identify cases more rapidly when they occur, and manage them more appropriately.We will use on-farm research projects, supported by laboratory studies, to investigate risk factors for sub-optimal udder health, as well as barriers to the implementation and impact of advanced mastitis diagnostics and udder health management. We will explore the impact of personnel training, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on udder health, and methods to positively affect these factors. Lastly, we will use reactive and proactive on-farm investigation of milk quality problems to improve diagnoses and managment of poor product quality.We anticipate being able to reduce the incidence and prevalence of mastitis in Pennsylvania dairy herds, implement better diagnostic strategies, and improve the stewardship of antibioitcs. We also expect to be able to improve and streamline the diagnosis and resolution of on-farm milk quality concerns.