Research Information System
PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, vol.1, no.1, pp.1-9, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
In recent years, many studies have been conducted on mastitis, and preventive
measures have been taken to curb it. However, mastitis continues to cause great
economic losses in dairy farms and negatively affects high-yielding dairy cows. The
current study aims to consolidate the prevalence of subclinical mastitis among dairy
cows in Türkiye and to estimate economic losses due to mastitis. The random effects model (Sidik-Jonkman Knapp and Hartung method) was used for the meta analysis to determine between-study and within-study variances. Economic losses
due to subclinical mastitis were calculated on the prevalence value calculated by
meta-analysis. Analyses revealed a high heterogeneity between studies based on
cows (Q = 1,590.86, df = 25, p < 0.01, I2 = 98.21) and udder lobes (Q = 732,802, df
= 21, p < 0.001, I2 = 97.83). The pooled estimate of subclinical mastitis prevalence
in 10,334 cows from 26 studies was 44.13% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 36.00–
52.50). A meta-analysis consisting of 21,745 udder lobes from 22 studies revealed
the prevalence of udder lobe-based subclinical mastitis to be 31.44% (95% CI:
27.00–36.20). The meta-analysis yielded statistically high heterogeneity for
prevalence estimates in published studies. The economic analysis revealed an
economic loss of 1,095.88, 3,221.26, and 8,455.91 TL (equivalent to 233.17,
685.37, and 1,799.13 L of milk, 84.3, 247.8 and 650.5 USD$) per animal in mild,
moderate, and severe cases, respectively. In this study, Meta-analysis in Türkiye
reveals varying subclinical mastitis prevalence, addressing inconsistencies across
studies. These economic loss calculations provide producers, policymakers, and
other stakeholders in the industry with the scientific information necessary to
develop effective strategies to combat subclinical mastitis.