Description

In the dairy industry mastitis has gained importance in economical point of view. It causes major losses in livestock industry. Infectious agents like bacteria, viruses and fungi are mostly the primary cause of disease. Staphylococcus spp., Streptococci, Corynebacterium spp., and Mycoplasma spp., are the more important bacteria out of the above mentioned agents. Mycoplasma is an opportunistic invader and may cause mastitis, metritis, pneumonia and joint infection. Several species of Mycoplasma have been recorded in dairy cattle, but by the foremost prevalent was Mycoplasma bovis, which was responsible for more than half of all reported isolates. Many disease complexes like mastitis may be controlled only when their etiology has been established; very little information was available on the etiology of mastitis worldwide therefore, the present study was conducted on the etiology of mastitis with special reference to Mycoplasma bovis. The information thus obtained, may help to play a vital role in the treatment and future mastitis control.