Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Bangladesh is a South Asian country that is largely dependent on its agriculture and is currently facing major challenges in its dairy sector. Due to a growing population and limited resources, the country cannot meet the demand for dairy products. The water buffalo is the world's second most common milk-producing animal, after the dairy cow, and is mainly used in Asia. The water buffalo is adapted to live in warm and humid environments and is therefore, more suitable in tropical countries, where dairy cows generally struggle. Mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, is one of the biggest problems in the dairy industry and affects the health, milk production potential, and milk quality of dairy animals. Mastitis also entails financial losses in the form of veterinary costs, loss of production and poorer quality of the milk. Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is a major problem since it is more difficult to identify and diagnose but still negatively affects milk yield and quality. Milk somatic cell count (SCC) is an important indicator of udder health and milk quality, with elevated levels indicating mastitis. Somatic cell counts in milk are generally lower in water buffaloes than in dairy cows, studies have shown that SCC above 200,000 cells/ml is a significant indicator of intra-mammary infection (IMI) in water buffaloes. In dairy cows, an SCC of 200,000 cells/ml is used as a threshold limit to determine when an udder is considered healthy or infected. Water buffaloes generally show a lower SCC than dairy cows and therefore, the same threshold limit cannot be used. The study states that it is important to determine a threshold limit for SCC in water buffaloes to be able to diagnose SCM to further enhance the water buffalo's milk yield and quality. This will in turn increase profits in the industry as well as promote animal welfare.