PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF CLINICAL AND SUBCLINICAL BOVINE MASTITIS IN A DAIRY HERD IN THE SOUTHEAST OF GOIÁS, BRAZIL

Bovine mastitis is a disease of extreme importance to the dairy production chain, since it causes economic losses in production. Mastitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the mammary glands. There are two forms of presentation of the disease, the clinical and subclinical, requiring diagnostic tests to differentiate them. This article aimed to verify the prevalence and incidence of mastitis in a dairy farm located in the southeast of the state of Goiás. To carry out this research, the Somatic Cell Count (SCC) test was used. The results showed 54% mastitis prevalence, a lower value if compared to other studies. The incidence of clinical mastitis was also low, and it was possible to observe periods of more than 30 days without any identification of new cases, due to the care taken on the property, such as the correct management of the herd and milking, hygiene and the use of qualified labor. According to the SCC findings, it can be inferred that the low values of the epidemiological indicators analyzed may be associated with good management and hygiene practices practiced on the property, reducing the prevalence and incidence of mastitis.