Advanced Screening for Subclinical Mastitis in Erode District
Walk through any dairy farm in Erode District at milking time, and you'll witness what seems like a perfectly normal routine. Yet beneath this ordinary scene lurks an invisible threat that silently reduces milk yield, compromises quality, and cuts into farmers' profits—subclinical mastitis.
The global dairy industry loses approximately US$22 billion annually to bovine mastitis 2 .
In India, annual losses reach ₹716 billion (approximately $98 billion), with subclinical infections representing the majority 3 .
Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland typically caused by bacterial infection. In subclinical cases, no outward signs appear despite ongoing internal infection.
Since subclinical mastitis shows no visible symptoms, dairy farmers must rely on diagnostic tools to identify infected animals. Science has provided an increasingly sophisticated arsenal for this purpose.
This established method measures white blood cells in milk, which increase during infection. While useful, SCC alone provides limited information about the inflammation stage 1 .
A newer approach that analyzes the types of cells present, offering insights into the infection's progression. Research shows that the combination of elevated SCC with lower DSCC proportions correlates with significant milk production losses 1 .
An emerging technology that uses infrared cameras to detect udder surface temperature variations caused by inflammation. Recent advances combine thermal imaging with statistical texture analysis and machine learning algorithms, significantly improving detection accuracy 4 .
Recent research has demonstrated the remarkable potential of thermal imaging as a non-invasive detection method for subclinical mastitis.
A 2024 study published in Animals journal developed an advanced algorithmic approach that integrates thermal imaging with statistical texture analysis and machine learning 4 .
Using a UTi260B thermal camera with 256×192 pixel resolution, researchers captured udder images from 260 animals across multiple farms. The higher resolution compared to previous studies allowed capture of more detailed thermal patterns 4 .
Images affected by motion blur, poor focus, or animal stress behaviors were excluded to minimize data variability—a crucial step often overlooked in earlier studies.
The team employed a two-stage process to isolate the udder region: color-based segmentation using K-means clustering followed by manual selection of the precise region of interest 4 .
From the segmented udder images, researchers extracted multiple statistical features including mean temperature values, standard deviation, kurtosis, skewness, and texture features from Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrices (GLCM) 4 .
The extracted features underwent analysis using t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE), followed by classification with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm 4 .
Correctly identifying infected animals
Correctly identifying healthy animals
Data-driven approaches provide critical insights into subclinical mastitis detection and management.
| Feature | Healthy Animals | Subclinical Mastitis | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Udder Surface Temperature | 33.45°C 4 | 35.80°C 4 | Indicates inflammatory response |
| Temperature Standard Deviation | Lower values | Higher values | Reflects irregular temperature distribution |
| GLCM Correlation | Higher values | Lower values | Suggests altered tissue texture |
| GLCM Contrast | Lower values | Higher values | Indicates greater thermal variation |
| Statistical Kurtosis | Lower values | Higher values | Reflects peakedness in temperature distribution |
Moderate Accuracy
Best for: Initial on-farm screening
High Accuracy
Best for: Monthly monitoring programs
Identifying subclinical mastitis represents only half the battle. Implementing effective control strategies is essential for Erode District farmers aiming to produce cleaner milk and reduce economic losses.
With rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance, researchers are exploring alternatives. Probiotics have demonstrated 65-85% cure rates and can reduce somatic cell counts by up to 75%, while certain phytochemicals from plants like neem and turmeric show 55-70% effectiveness .
When antibiotics remain necessary, research supports more selective application. One study found that treating non-severe mastitis cases initially with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, followed by antibiotics only in cases without improvement, reduced antibiotic use by 86% while still achieving clinical cure in 87% of cases 1 .
International research has developed promising alternatives like "oligoimidazolium carbon acids" (OIMs). These compounds kill bacteria through a novel mechanism—converting to structures called carbenes that damage bacterial DNA. Preliminary farm trials showed effective prevention without irritating udders or contaminating milk 2 .
A New Zealand study found that adding the corticosteroid hydrocortisone aceponate to penicillin treatment reduced udder inflammation and swelling in clinical mastitis cases compared to penicillin alone, though bacteriological cure rates were similar 1 .
Subclinical mastitis may remain invisible to the naked eye, but it no longer needs to remain invisible to Erode District's dairy farmers. Advanced screening methods, particularly the innovative thermal imaging approach detailed in this article, offer powerful tools for detecting this hidden threat before it causes significant economic damage.