HISTO-MORPHOMETRY, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR PATHOBIOLOGY OF MASTITIS IN BUFFALOES AND COWS

Abstract

Various risk factors related to mastitis were evaluated to measure the incidence of mastitis including udder and teat shape, udder depth, udder configuration, tail length, dirty hid legs, teat canal length, milking techniques, breed, age, parity, lactation length, live body weight, teat end to floor distance, housing condition and milk leakage. Different teat shapes were recorded including pointed, round, bow and flat along with ulcerated injuries. Udder shape, teat lesions and higher teat diameter was associated with increase milk somatic cell. Results indicated that lower teat en to floor distance, cylindrical teat end shape, round and various factors teat length, high teat diameter, teat lesions, teat end to floor distance, milk leakage, number of attendants, frequency of culling, farms conditions, and housing conditions were the significant risk factors responsible for of mastitis. Overall, at all the livestock farms studied in the government or private sector revealed a prevalence of mastitis in 15.2% buffaloes and 19.4% At slaughter house 16 biotypes for E. coli, 11 biotypes for Streptococuss and 10 biotypes for Staphylococcus were recovered.. The total milk somatic cell count in both species (buffaloes + cows) and neutrophil population was significantly higher in mastitic than healthy animals. The results on histopathology for both cattle and buffalo revealed atrophy of alveoli celluar infilteration, cellular exudates in alveoli, connective tissue proliferation and disappearance of alveoli in udder tissues. Milk, the values for lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotranferase and sodium increased in mastitic than health animals. The values of potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron were decreased in milk samples from mastitic than healthy animals. Lesions on udder, teat shape, udder shape, use of oxytocin, calf suckling and hosing space showed significant difference between mastitic and healthy (cattle + buffaloes). A PCR based method by COA gene along with molecular typing by RFLP gave different sized products.