Dutch dairy farmers' need for microbiological mastitis diagnostics

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Health
• Dairy Science

Background:

• Current microbiological diagnostic tools for mastitis are underutilized by dairy farmers for treatment decisions.
• Antimicrobial use for clinical mastitis (CM), subclinical mastitis (SCM), and dry-cow treatment (DCT) is primarily guided by clinical signs and somatic cell counts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the current use and farmer-identified needs for microbiological diagnostics in Dutch dairy farming.
• To determine desired characteristics of mastitis diagnostic tests, including time-to-result and preferred outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A telephone interview survey was conducted with 195 randomly selected Dutch dairy farmers.
• A structured questionnaire, based on prior face-to-face interviews, was used to gather data.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariable/multivariable models.

Main Results:

• Only 34% of farmers currently use bacteriological culture for CM; this could rise to 71% with a 12-hour on-farm test providing treatment advice.
• Significant increases in test adoption are anticipated for SCM (22% to 55%) and DCT (7% to 34%) with similar rapid, advice-driven tests.
• Farmers prioritize reliability (44-51%) and rapid results (≤8h for CM, ≤24h for SCM/DCT), with a preference for antibiotic treatment advice (58% for CM).

Conclusions:

• A clear need exists for improved microbiological mastitis diagnostics, particularly for CM, offering actionable treatment recommendations.
• The development of reliable, rapid, on-farm diagnostic tests is crucial to increase adoption and optimize antibiotic stewardship in dairy herds.
• Farmer interest in diagnostics varies, with lower uptake anticipated for SCM and DCT compared to CM without significant improvements in test utility.