Tesfaye Deme, Biressaw S
A cross sectional study was conducted in Arsi zone, Lemu bilbilo district from November 2013to April 2014 on dairy cows to determine the prevalence of mastitis and determinant of its major risk factors. The study was done on 300 lactating cows, of which 144 were local and 156 cross breed by using clinical examination , California mastitis test (CMT) and culture. Of these 126 (42 %) were positive by clinical examination and CMT for clinical and sub clinical mastitis, with prevalence of 5.3 % and 36.7 %, respectively. The total quarter level prevalence reported during the study was 28%. All the potential risk factors considered in this study namely, parity ( p 7 years and cows with parity >7 but high prevalence was obtained on early and late stage of lactation. The study also revealed that cross breed lactating cows and those managed intensively were susceptible to mastitis. The highly prevalent bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aurous (38.5%) followed by Streptococcus agalactiae which accounts (25.3 %), and others were Staphylococcus intermidius, E. coli and Corynebacterial species with respective proportion of 15.5, 13.9 and 6,8%. The present study also revealed that mastitis is the major problem in smallholder dairy farms in the study area specially the sub clinical form, so that creation of awareness about the importance and prevention of subclinical mastitis among smallholder dairy farmers, milking infected animals and their respective quarters at last and periodic monitoring of infection status of the udder is recommended.
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