Mastitis is the most economically significant and welfare-impactful disease in dairy cattle, with prevention programs delivering simultaneous welfare and economic benefits for farms.
Mastitis welfare impact extends beyond acute clinical episodes to chronic subclinical inflammation that is invisible to farm observation but detectable through milk quality monitoring. Cows with persistently elevated somatic cell counts are experiencing immune activation and potential chronic discomfort that reduces quality of life without triggering visible signs. Prevention investment including milking hygiene, environmental management, and dry cow therapy delivers both welfare improvement and economic return, making mastitis prevention one of the most compelling examples of welfare-economics alignment in dairy farming.