What “caused” the mastitis problem?
ES in the cow’s environment is a necessary cause of ES mastitis but the presence of the bacteria does not always cause mastitis. A variety of other factors which affect bacterial numbers in the environment, exposure of the teat end and the resistance of the cow are also important. Intervention to prevent ES mastitis involves manipulation of one or more of these component causes. Why did mastitis occur? Clinical case records, laboratory and other testing data are analyzed to define the problem as described above. A simple hypothesis about why mastitis is occurring is generated. If herd size and case numbers are large enough factors suspected of contributing to the problem can be statistically tested to verify their relationship to mastitis. Formal evaluation establishes that the difference observed is unlikely to have occurred due to chance alone. How is the mastitis problem controlled or prevented? Once factors suspected of causing ES mastitis are identified, recommendations are made t
