Performing Department
Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences
Non Technical Summary
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.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
45%
Developmental
45%
Goals / Objectives
Characterize host mechanisms and pathogenic virulence factors associated with mastitis susceptibility and resistance to improve economic outcomes and animal welfare (ID, LA, MI, OR, PA, NJ, TN, UT, VT, WA, Canada).
Assess and apply new technologies that advance mastitis control, milk quality and/or dairy food safety (CT, KT, LA, MI, MN, MO, NY, PA, UT, VA, WA).
Identify and apply new strategies associated with the control of mastitis that can reduce the use of antibiotics in dairy herds (CT, ID, ME, MN, MO, NJ, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, Canada).
Project Methods
Objective 1: Cross-sectional and longitudinal laboratory studies will be used to conduct investigative research into host and pathogen mechanisms associated with mastitis susceptibility and risk factors, with the goal of improving animal welfare and economic performance.Objective 2: Didactic instruction and laboratory sessions; workshops and experiential learning opportunities; on-farm training sessions; and on-line resource development. Cross-sectional and longitudinal on-farm and laboratory studies will be used to conduct investigative research into new technologies and approaches to improve udder health using on-farm data systems, as well as improving milk quality and safety. The impact of outreach/extension efforts will be evaluated on the knowledge level of participants by means of pre- and post-workshop testing, as well as mid- to longer-term followup with extension workshop participants to determine changes in attitudes and behavior.Objective 3: Didactic instruction and laboratory sessions; workshops and experiential learning opportunities; on-farm training sessions; and on-line resource development. Cross-sectional and longitudinal on-farm and laboratory studies will be used to conduct investigative research into strategies that can optimize the use of antibiotics in dairy herds. The impact of these methods will be evaluated on the knowledge level of participants by means of pre- and post-workshop testing, as well as mid- to longer-term followup with extension workshop participants to determine changes in attitudes and behavior.