Abstract

This review focuses on udder health and subclinical mastitis, which are crucial elements impacting the productivity and sustainability of the dairy industry globally, particularly in the low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). The dairy sector plays a vital role in economic growth and food security. Despite this importance, data on cow welfare and udder health remain limited in many regions of the world. This review paper aims to address this gap through a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach with a focus on Nigeria, but with implications for similar geography.
We focused on the detection of subclinical mastitis (SCM) in lactating cows through the application of three commonly used diagnostic techniques: the California Mastitis Test (CMT), White Side Test (WST), and Draminski Mastitis Detector (DMD). These methods facilitate the identification of early, asymptomatic stages of mastitis – crucial for mitigating its adverse effects on udder health, milk quality, and production efficiency. While this review outlines their operational principles and relevance, a rigorous comparative analysis of their diagnostic accuracy, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness in Nigerian dairy systems is beyond the current scope. However, this aspect will be addressed in our ongoing research project involving field-based data collection and performance evaluation of these tools across selected herds.
The review also explored udder health from both histopathological and microbiological perspectives. While published studies provide limited region-specific data, the histopathological analysis in general literature focuses on identifying microscopic lesions and tissue alterations, whereas the microbiological component outlines methods used for detecting mastitis-causing bacterial pathogens. Notably, there remains a gap in detailed pathogen-specific data from Nigeria. Our ongoing research seeks to address this by characterizing the bacterial isolates from slaughtered native breeds and correlating them with histological changes observed in corresponding udder quarters – an approach that, if successful, may represent the first of its kind in the region. .
This review should provide valuable insights into the current knowledge of udder health in cows, primarily in Nigeria, but with implications for other territories with similar dairy industry. It should highlight prevalent issues, identify key risk factors, diagnostic methods, and suggests areas for improvement. By informing management practices, this review aims to enhance cow welfare and udder health, thereby contributing to the overall productivity and sustainability of the dairy industry. The suggestions are expected to benefit farmers, veterinarians, policymakers, and researchers by providing evidence-based recommendations for better management and preventive strategies.

Key words: Cow welfare, Dairy industry, Mastitis detection, Subclinical mastitis, Udder health