Clinical and subclinical mycotic mastitis and the sensitivity and specificity of California Mastitis Test for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in ewes in Al – Fallouja city

Abstract

The study was aimed to calculate the morbidity rate of clinical and subclinical mastitis, estimation of specificity and sensitivity of California Mastitis test for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis, and isolation of the fungi– causing clinical and subclinical mastitis in 80 milk samples collected from 41 adult lactating ewes in Al – Fallouja city.The sensitivity and specificity of California Mastitis Test were reached to 78.79 % and 87.18% respectively. The study revealed that 10% of mammary glands (14.63 % of ewes) were infected by clinical mastitis, while the subclinical mastitis appeared in 41.25% of mammary glands (60.98 % of ewes).The clinical mycotic mastitis was appeared in 5% of mammary glands (9.76% of ewes), where Candida albicans was isolated from 2 mammary glands , while each of Aspergillus terreus and Blastomyces dermatitidis were isolated from one gland affected by clinical mastitis.The subclinical mycotic mastitis was appeared in 18.75% of mammary glands (26.83% of ewes), where C. albicans, penicillium spp, Gliocladium spp, Aspergillus niger, terreus .A, A. fumigates, A. flavus and Blastomyces dermatitidis were isolated from 4,2,2,2,2,1,1 and 1 mammary gland respectively.It is concluded from this study that the morbidity rate of mastitis , especially the mycotic mastitis have a continuous increments due to default sanitation and retrogression of health and nutritional status of sheep in Iraq