Association of herd-level risk factors and incidence rate of clinical mastitis in 20 Brazilian dairy herds

The objectives of this study were to characterize the pathogen frequency and severity of clinical mastitis (CM) in 20 dairy herds of southeastern Brazil; and to determine the incidence rate of clinical mastitis (IRCM; overall and based on specific-pathogen groups) based on quarter time at risk and its association with risk factors at the herd-level. Data were recorded in each herd for a period of 8 to 15 months. The association between herd-level risk factors and IRCM were determined by two groups of mixed regression models: one based on the overall IRCM, and five based on the following specific-pathogen groups: contagious, other Gram-positive, Gram-negative, other, and negative culture. The following herd-level risk factors were evaluated: herd size, housing system, average daily milk yield per cow, bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC), and bulk milk total bacterial count (BMTBC). A total of 5957 quarter-cases of CM were recorded from 2637 cows, but only 4212 cases had milk samples collected for culture. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (6.6% of total cultures), Streptococcus uberis (6.1%), and Streptococcus agalactiae (5.9%). The majority of CM cases were mild (60.3%), while 34.1% were moderate and 5.6% severe. The frequency of severe CM cases was lower for those with a Gram-positive result (4.6%) compared to a Gram-negative result (11.4%). Overall, monthly mean IRCM was 9.7 cases per 10,000 quarter-days at risk (QDAR). Herds with a geometric mean BMSCC ≥ 601 × 103 cell/mL had higher overall IRCM (16/10,000 QDAR) than those with BMSCC ≤ 600 × 103 cell/mL (≤7.7/10,000 QDAR). When the specific-pathogen groups were evaluated, for contagious pathogens, variables housing (free-stalls or compost-bedded pack barns), BMSCC (≥601 × 103 cells/mL), and average daily milk yield per cow (21 and 25 Kg/d) presented the highest IRCM. Furthermore, in Gram-negative group, herds with BMTBC ≥ 31 × 103 cfu/mL had higher IRCM compared with herds with BMTBC ≤ 30 × 103 cfu/mL. Although environmental pathogens were the most common cause of CM in this study, contagious pathogens (e.g., Strep. agalactiae and Staph. aureus) are still a concern in dairy herds of Brazil. Additionally, as there were some herd-level risk factors associated with the IRCM, there may be opportunity for management strategies aiming to improve the control of CM in dairy herds.