Summary

Mastitis is a major health problem for dairy cows. It causes vast economic burdens for milk producers due to the increased costs for treating the infected animals, decreased quality and quantity of milk production, as well as premature culling of chronically infected animals. 

The aim of the EIP-AGRI Operational Group (OG) called MAVAS is to test and prepare a novel biosensing system for commercial use. The biosensor is intended for on-farm rapid complex detection of the most common mastitis-causing bacteria in fresh milk and identification of dairy cows suffering from preclinical and clinical mastitis.

Results

The improved ability to diagnose on-farm will allow for more effective preclinical treatment, which will reduce further treatment costs and the number of serious infections.

The improved animal health will result in higher milk yields and increased economic results.

Reducing the use of antibiotics for animal treatment will have a positive environmental impact.

Improving the performance of the sector will help maintain jobs, while the use of new technologies will help attract new entrants into the workforce.