Abstract:
A study was conducted in Gondar town in six selected smallholder farms from
August 2005 to January 2006 for six months to measure incidence rate of clinical
bovine mastitis. Monitoring was performed by animal attendants of each farm
after training and supervision of the monitoring activities and collection of data
was performed by the researchers. Farmers identified cases of clinical mastitis on
the basis of abnormalities in milk, in the udder or systemic abnormalities of the
cow. A second or third case of clinical mastitis in the same lactation was considered
a new case if at least 14 days had passed between the previous and the current
case of clinical mastitis. The average incidence rate of clinical bovine mastitis at
cow level was found to be 21.26 per 100 cow-years at risk (0.21 per cow-year at
risk). Among the six farms, the highest incidence rate observed was 63.49 per 100
cow- years time and no case was recorded in two farms.
