https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2025.13748
The relationship between the occurrence of subclinical mastitis and milk quality in medium-sized Holstein cow farms in Albania
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 8 July 2025
Subclinical mastitis (SCM) reduces both milk production and milk quality. In this study, the prevalence of SCM, as determined by the California Mastitis Test (CMT), was analyzed in relation to lactation year, milk density, lactose content, electrical conductivity, and fat content at both the individual cow level and the farm level. The focus was on the overall prevalence of CMT-positive cases within the farms and the mean values of physicochemical changes in milk for each farm. A total of 711 udder quarters from 178 Holstein cows across nine dairy farms were sampled at three intervals during lactation (i.e., in three lactation periods). The number of cows per farm ranged from 21 to 140, covering various lactation stages. A CMT score of 1+ in any quarter was considered SCM-positive. The significance and correlation of SCM’s impact on changes in physicochemical milk parameters were analyzed using a robust compound regression. Prevalence of SCM was found to be between 0.14 and 0.63. High prevalence of SCM showed a significant increase in milk conductivity and a significant decrease in milk lactose, protein, solid non-fat (SNF) content, and density. The prevalence of mild and severe SCM varied across different seasons and lactation stages (p<0.05). Significant correlations (p<0.05) between lactation year, lactose content, electrical conductivity, SNF content, and protein were measured at the farm level using a milk analyzer and compared with SCM (R2=0.28; R2=0.41; R2=0.26; R2=0.36; R2=0.39). These findings suggest that physicochemical milk parameters, which are routinely measured in Albanian dairies, can serve as an effective early-warning indicator for dairy farms to detect potential cases of SCM.
Downloads
Antanaitis R, Juozaitienė V, Jonike V, Baumgartner W, Paulauskas A, 2021. Milk lactose as a biomarker of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. Animals 11:1736. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061736
Barkema HW, 1999. Udder health on dairy farms. 2. Mastitis prevention programs. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd 124:345-50
Biffa D, Debela E, Beyene F, 2005. Prevalence and risk factors of mastitis in lactating dairy cows in Southern Ethiopia. Int J Appl Res Vet Med 3:189-98.
Bludau MJ, Maeschli A, Leiber F, Steiner A, Klocke P, 2014. Mastitis in dairy heifers: prevalence and risk factors. Vet J 202:566-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.09.021
Borena BM, Gurmessa FT, Gebremedhin EZ, Sarba EJ, Marami LM, 2023. Staphylococcus aureus in cow milk and milk products in Ambo and Bako towns Oromia Ethiopia: Prevalence associated risk factors hygienic quality and antibiogram. Int Microbiol 26:513-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-022-00317-x
Chen X, Chen Y, Zhang W, Chen S, Wen X, Ran X, Wang H, Zhao J, Qi Y, Xue N, 2022. Prevalence of subclinical mastitis among dairy cattle and associated risks factors in China during 2012-2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Res Vet Sci 148:65-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.04.007
Costa A, Bovenhuis H, Egger-Danner C, Fuerst-Waltl B, Boutinaud M, Guinard-Flament J, Obritzhauser W, Visentin G, Penasa M, 2025. Mastitis has a cumulative and lasting effect on milk yield and lactose content in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 108:635-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25467
Costa A, Lopez-Villalobos N, Sneddon NW, Shalloo L, Franzoi M, De Marchi M, Penasa M, 2019. Invited review: Milk lactose—Current status and future challenges in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 102:5883-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-15955
Dohoo IR, Leslie K, 1991. Evaluation of changes in somatic cell counts as indicators of new intramammary infections. Prev Vet Med 10:225-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-5877(91)90006-N
Fernandes L, Guimaraes I, Noyes NR, Caixeta LS, Machado VS, 2021. Effect of subclinical mastitis detected in the first month of lactation on somatic cell count linear scores milk yield fertility and culling of dairy cows in certified organic herds. J Dairy Sci 104:2140-50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-19153
Forsbäck L, Lindmark-Månsson H, Andrén A, Svennersten-Sjaunja K, 2010. Evaluation of quality changes in udder quarter milk from cows with low-to-moderate somatic cell counts. Animal 4:617-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731109991467
Gillon A, Bastin C, Soyeurt H, Gengler N, 2010. Genetic parameters of mastitis-correlated milk components in first parity dairy cows. 9th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) .
Gleeson D, Flynn J, Brien BO, 2018. Effect of pre-milking teat disinfection on new mastitis infection rates of dairy cows. Ir Vet J 71:11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13620-018-0122-4
Goto A, Yokoi M, Inoue Y, Hisaeda K, Shinozuka Y, Nakada K, 2024. Association between somatic cell count or morbidity of chronic subclinical mastitis and longevity in dairy herds in Eastern Hokkaido Japan: a cross-sectional study. J Vet Med Sci 86:1-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.23-0276
Hagnestam-Nielsen C, Emanuelson U, Berglund B, Strandberg E, 2009. Relationship between somatic cell count and milk yield in different stages of lactation. J Dairy Sci 92:3124-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1719
Iraguha B, 2023. Bovine mastitis control strategies with emphasis on developing countries. In: Petrovski K, ed. Recent developments on bovine mastitis - treatment and control. Intechopen, London, UK. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112348
ISO, 2008. Milk and milk products – guidance on sampling. ISO Norm 707:2008. International Standardization Organization ed., Geneva, Switzerland.
Jasper D, 1975. The control of mastitis: an IDF seminar. The Bovine Practitioner 74-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol1975no10p74-77
Kitchen BJ, 1981. Bovine mastitis: milk compositional changes and related diagnostic tests. J Dairy Res 48:167-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029900021580
Krishnamoorthy P, Goudar AL, Suresh KP, Roy P, 2021. Global and countrywide prevalence of subclinical and clinical mastitis in dairy cattle and buffaloes by systematic review and meta-analysis. Res Vet Sci 136:561-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.04.021
Lisuzzo A, Laghi L, Fiore E, Cecchinato A, Bisutti V, Pegolo S, Giannuzzi D, Tessari R, Barberio A, Schiavon E, Mazzotta E, Tommasoni C, Gianesella M, 2024. Serum metabolome differences associated with subclinical intramammary infection caused by Streptococcus agalactiae and Prototheca spp. in multiparous dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 107:1656-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23851
Liu X, Mi S, Li W, Zhang J, Augustino SMA, Zhang Z, Zhang R, Xiao W, Yu Y, 2023. Molecular regulatory mechanism of key LncRNAs in subclinical mastitic cows with folic acid supplementation. BMC Genomics 24:464. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-023-09466-3
Maatje K, Huijsmans PJM, Rossing W, Hogewerf PH, 1992. The efficacy of in-line measurement of quarter milk electrical conductivity milk yield and milk temperature for the detection of clinical and subclinical mastitis. Livest Prod Sci 30:239-49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-6226(06)80013-8
Malek dos Reis CB, Barreiro JR, Mestieri L, Porcionato MA, dos Santos MV, 2013. Effect of somatic cell count and mastitis pathogens on milk composition in Gyr cows. BMC Vet Res 9:67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-9-67
McCain HR, Kaliappan S, Drake MA, 2018. Invited review: sugar reduction in dairy products. J Dairy Sci 101:8619-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-14347
Miglior F, Sewalem A, Jamrozik J, Bohmanova J, Lefebvre DM, Moore RK, 2007. Genetic analysis of milk urea nitrogen and lactose and their relationships with other production traits in Canadian Holstein cattle. J Dairy Sci 90:2468-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-487
Neculai-Valeanu AS, Ariton AM, 2022. Udder health monitoring for prevention of bovine mastitis and improvement of milk quality. Bioengineering 9:608. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9110608
Norberg E, Hogeveen H, Korsgaard IR, Friggens NC, Sloth KH, Løvendahl P, 2004. Electrical conductivity of milk: Ability to predict mastitis status. J Dairy Sci 87:1099-107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73256-7
Pankey JW, Wildman EE, Drechsler PA, Hogan JS, 1987. Field trial evaluation of premilking teat disinfection. J Dairy Sci 70:867-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(87)80085-1
Paramasivam R, Gopal DR, Dhandapani R, Subbarayalu R, Elangovan MP, Prabhu B, Veerappan V, Nandheeswaran A, Paramasivam S, Muthupandian S, 2023. Is AMR in dairy products a threat to human health? An updated review on the origin prevention treatment and economic impacts of subclinical mastitis. Infect Drug Resist 16:155-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S384776
Pyörälä S, 2002. New strategies to prevent mastitis. Reprod Domest Anim 37:211-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0531.2002.00378.x
Reist M, Erdin D, von Euw D, Tschuemperlin K, Leuenberger H, Chilliard Y, Hammon HM, Morel C, Philipona C, Zbinden Y, Kuenzi N, Blum JW, 2002. Estimation of energy balance at the individual and herd level using blood and milk traits in high-yielding dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 85:3314-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(02)74420-2
Romero J, Benavides E, Meza C, 2018. Assessing financial impacts of subclinical mastitis on Colombian dairy farms. Front Vet Sci 5:273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00273
Ruegg PL, 2011. Managing mastitis and producing quality milk. Dairy Production Medicine 207-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470960554.ch18
Sharma N, Singh NK, Bhadwal MS, 2011. Relationship of somatic cell count and mastitis: an overview. Asian-Aust J Anim Sci 24:429-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2011.10233
Shittu A, Abdullahi J, Jibril A, Mohammed AA, & Fasina FO, 2012. Sub-clinical mastitis and associated risk factors on lactating cows in the Savannah Region of Nigeria. BMC Vet Res 8:134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-134
Sordillo LM, 2016. Nutritional strategies to optimize dairy cattle immunity. J Dairy Sci 99:4967-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10354
Tanni NS, Islam MS, Kabir M, Parvin MS, Ehsan MA, Islam MT, 2021. Evaluation of sodium lauryl sulfate for the development of cow-side mastitis screening test. Vet World 14:2290-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2290-2295
Zalewska M, Brzozowska P, Rzewuska M, Kawecka-Grochocka E, Urbańska DM, Sakowski T, Bagnicka E, 2025. The quality and technological parameters of milk obtained from dairy cows with subclinical mastitis. J Dairy Sci 108:1285-300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25346
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.