Our Technology: Mastitis Mastitis is caused by bacterial
infection of the cow udder – it is described as being either
sub-clinical (lower yields and quality of milk due to mild
infection, but no obvious clinical signs) or clinical (clumped,
discoloured milk, udder swelling, tenderness, animal discomfort,
etc). It is a major problem, costing the EU dairy industry
approximately €1.55 billion in 2005 and the US dairy industry
approximately $2 billion per annum. Currently, farmers use
conventional antibiotics to treat clinical mastitis. During this
period and for a period afterwards (the withdrawal period) they
are unable to sell this milk on, and so this milk must be
discarded. This causes economic loss to the farmer. Mastitis
also reduces the quantity of milk a cow produces, and the milk
that is produced is of reduced quality. There is a tiered milk
payment system in Ireland, and other parts of the world, where
milk of the highest quality receives the highest price, with
lower quality milk (due to a mastitis in