Mastitis is the most costly disease in dairy production and a major welfare concern, causing significant pain to millions of cows annually and representing a systemic challenge to high-output dairy farming.
Mastitis causes genuine suffering for affected cows. The udder becomes inflamed, hot, and painful; cows with severe clinical mastitis stop eating, develop fever, and may become recumbent. Even subclinical mastitis, which is invisible to the naked eye, causes persistent discomfort and reduced milk production. High-yielding modern dairy cows are inherently more susceptible because of the physiological demands of high milk output. The disease cycle in many operations is managed reactively with antibiotics rather than proactively through herd health programmes, perpetuating both suffering and antimicrobial resistance. Cows that develop severe or recurrent mastitis face repeated treatment stress, involuntary culling, and in severe cases death. Prevention-focused herd health management substantially reduces both incidence and severity.