Comparative efficacy and validation of different diagnostic methods in detection of subclinical mastitis in farms of Bundelkhand

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to validate the comparative efficacy of different diagnostic tests commonly used for the detection of subclinical mastitis. The study was designed to determine the specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of common tests viz. California Mastitis Test (CMT), Indicator Paper Method (BTB), Somatic Cell Count (SCC), and Electrical Conductivity (EC) with bacterial culture as a standard, in parts of Bundelkhand region. Of the 411 samples, 295 were found to be positive for subclinical mastitis on screening with either of the 4 methods routinely used for the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis (SCM). The remaining 120 milk samples were negative for SCM with all methods used. Individual test-wise percentage prevalence was 26.28, 44.53, 30.41, and 41.85% respectively with CMT, EC, BTB, and SCC, respectively. On comparing the results with the culture test, the present study confirmed the superiority of SCC based method for the detection of subclinical mastitis. Correlating the EC results with SCC values avoids false results with maximum accuracy.

Keywords: Subclinical mastitis, mastitis detection, validation, CMT, SCC