Summary
This epidemiological survey characterises the bacterial aetiology of mastitis in dairy cattle across Inner Mongolia from 2015 to 2024, analysing 12,053 clinical and sub-clinical samples. The findings reveal a significant temporal shift in pathogen prevalence, with environmental pathogens (particularly E. coli and Klebsiella spp.) increasing substantially whilst contagious pathogens have declined, suggesting that existing control strategies targeting contagious bacteria have been effective but new approaches targeting environmental mastitis are needed.
UK applicability
Whilst this study is geographically specific to Inner Mongolia, the documented shift towards environmental mastitis pathogens reflects trends observed in dairy systems globally, including the UK, and may inform prioritisation of prevention strategies. However, direct application of regional prevalence data should account for differences in herd management, biosecurity, and antimicrobial use practices between China and UK dairy systems.
Key measures
Isolation rates (%) of major mastitis pathogens: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Mycoplasma, stratified by year and clinical presentation (CM vs SCM)
Outcomes reported
The study identified and quantified the prevalence of bacterial pathogens isolated from 12,053 clinical and sub-clinical mastitis samples over a 10-year period. It documented temporal trends in pathogen epidemiology, including a shift from contagious pathogens (declining) towards environmental pathogens (increasing).
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