Prevalence of bovine mastitis and its associated risk factors under different production system in Borena district of South Wollo Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia

The study was designed to determine the prevalence of bovine mastitis and its associated risk factors under different production systems in rural and peri-urban areas of Borena District, South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. A total of 180 households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire concerning the different potential risk factors for mastitis prevalence, and 229 lactating cows were subjected to clinical examination and California Mastitis Test (CMT) screening to determine the prevalence of subclinical mastitis. The prevalence was determined in peri urban and mixed farming systems. The prevalence of mastitis was significantly higher in peri-urban production systems (87.0%) than in rural smallholder production systems (68.6%). The overall prevalence of bovine mastitis determined in the area was 73%, from which the subclinical mastitis accounts 55.5% and remaining 17.5% was clinical mastitis. Out of 916 examined quarters, 5.4% were clinically affected, 1.5% were blind, and 46.1% were CMT positive. In general, the prevalence of mastitis was high, with breed, stage of lactation, parity, and barn hygiene all playing significant roles. To overcome this problem, awareness creation among dairy cow owners on how to keep the udder clean, improving floor conditions through regular cleaning, and medical intervention are needed to improve mastitis prevention and control programs in the study areas.