Animal Health: Joint ADSA/NMC Symposium: Mastitis Control and Milk Quality Globally: Past, Present, and an Amazing Future

Global technologies and strategies have been implemented the past 60+ years and greatly enhanced mastitis control, resulting in improved quantities and quality of milk and dairy products. Continued demands for the highest quality, safest quality milk as a foundation for human nutrition is recognized and supported, and abilities to transport and export dairy products with greater shelf life has been a direct effect of this. While public health standards or SCC limits vary among countries globally, measurements assessing mastitis and milk quality such as SCC, milk nutrient composition values, antibiotic testing, and enhanced shelf life are similar among domesticated countries and milk supplies. Yet, many countries around the world with limited milk supplies, capital, and infrastructure can’t implement the simplest mastitis control strategies. The initial very successful 5-point mastitis control plan was developed in the 1960s by NIRD in the UK and then adopted globally. The aim was to reduce levels of subclinical and clinical mastitis primarily through the control of mastitis pathogens. Five points were (1) Record and treat clinical cases; (2) post milking teat disinfection; (3) dry cow therapy; (4) cull chronic cases; and (5) milking machine maintenance. With the control of contagious mastitis pathogens and the advent of environmental mastitis and other pathogens, focus on animal health and immunity and factors affecting this as well as pathogen exposure (nutrition, proper and clean animal environments) received attention and strategies and a 10-point plan. Over these years, our abilities to rapidly monitor milk components and disseminate information for monitoring and making changes rapidly has been astounding. Also, focused antibiotic use increased and so did enhanced continual regulatory testing for B-lactams and other compounds in the 1990s, with also some global concerns of antibiotic resistance. Our focused plans have resulted in an abundant supply of the highest quality, safest dairy products. Advent of genomic testing and large data handling, new therapeutic strategies and alternatives, and recognition and focus on personnel as the brains of milk quality exemplify our future opportunities.