National Mastitis Council’s (NMC) next webinar features “From Dairy Lab to Veterinary Lab: The Do’s and Don’ts of Mastitis Diagnostics.” This free, one-hour educational offering starts at 2 p.m. Central (Chicago) time on June 24.
During the webinar, Justine Britten, an NMC board member and laboratory director at Udder Health Systems, Meridian, Idaho, will discuss mastitis diagnostics, including microbiological culture, molecular methods and on-farm culture. Key topics include:
- Primary differences between most on-farm labs and commercial milk quality labs
- Complexity levels of diagnosing mastitis pathogens
- Advantages and disadvantages of culture-based methods versus molecular methods
- Interpretation of results and use in management decisions
According to Britten, microbiological culture has been the gold standard of mastitis diagnostics for many years. However, in recent years, the dairy industry is seeing increasing popularity of using molecular methods, as well as doing mastitis cultures right on the farm. “Not all methods are appropriate for a particular situation,” says Britten. Thus, it is important to determine what question is being asked, what environment the procedures will be performed in, and who will be doing that work.
“The primary goal for most dairy producers using a milk quality laboratory service is to create data-driven management decisions,” adds Britten. “Incorrect data can potentially be worse than no data at all and may result in healthy animals being mistakenly culled. Or, an undetected disease may escalate into a disease outbreak.”
To register for this webinar, go here and follow the prompts. As the webinar approaches, registrants will receive an e-mail with information on how to log in to participate. If you are an NMC member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar at NMC Online after July 12.
Britten earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Washington State University and doctorate degree in animal, dairy and veterinary sciences from Utah State University. Her duties at Udder Health Systems include managing research and development projects, milk quality consultation and laboratory operations, and providing technical support for the company’s laboratories.
NMC applied for one Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) credit, which helps veterinarians and veterinary technicians fulfill continuing education requirements. For further information about NMC’s RACE offerings, contact JoDee Sattler at: [email protected].
National Mastitis Council is a professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.