title: Prevalence and pathogens of subclinical mastitis in dairy goats in China.
abstract: Subclinical mastitis, a costly disease for the dairy industry, is usually caused by intramammary bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of and pathogens involved in subclinical mastitis in dairy goats in China. A total of 683 dairy goats in the main breeding areas of China were selected, and milk samples were collected. Out of these, 313 (45.82 %) goats were detected distinct or strong positive for subclinical mastitis by using California mastitis test. Among these positive goats, 209 milk samples were used to identify the causing agents by a multiplex PCR assay, and results were listed as follows: coagulase-negative staphylococci (59.52 %), Staphylococcus aureus (15.24 %), Escherichia coli (11.43 %), and Streptococcus spp. (10.95 %). In conclusion, subclinical mastitis is a highly prevalent disease in dairy goats in China, and coagulase-negative staphylococci are the predominant pathogens.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xuanduo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Miaotao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dekun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003612:Dairying; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006041:Goats; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000382:microbiology; D008413:Mastitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification