In spite of solid progress to lower somatic cell counts on dairies, many farms continue to struggle with clinical mastitis. In fact, clinical rates of mastitis have nearly doubled over the last two decades, from about 13 cases per 100 cows to 24, says Pam Ruegg. Cow-to-cow mastitis spread is not the core challenge today. Rather, herds must now deal with bacteria that live and thrive in the environment and bedding material.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, February 21, 2017.
Even though cows can be exposed to large numbers of bacteria in their stalls, those bacteria must infect the udder before they cause mastitis. So pre-milking hygiene and udder prep remain essential to prevent mastitis.