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Cow mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland (udder) in cows, most often caused by bacterial infection, physical trauma, or chemical irritation. It is the most common and costly disease in the dairy industry, leading to decreased milk production, changes in milk quality, and, in severe cases, death. Key symptoms include swelling, redness, heat, and pain in the udder. Treatment often requires the use of antibiotics.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) can cause severe and often chronic mastitis in dairy cows. This occurs because the virus forms vesicles (blisters) on the teats, which frequently lead to secondary bacterial infections and permanent udder damage. This results in long-term milk yield drops and reduced udder health, often necessitating culling.
Milk from cows infected with FMD that also has a high somatic cell count (SCC) presents significant challenges for dairy processing, including reduced yields and lower product quality. While the FMD virus itself is not zoonotic and poses no direct health risk to humans (provided proper heat treatment), the associated high SCC, usually indicating mastitis or udder damage caused by the virus, can substantially alter the milk’s chemical composition.
Jompie Burger
Jompie completed a Diploma in Public Health at the Technicon Pretoria. While practising as an environmental health practitioner, he continued his academic development and obtained a BTech in Environmental Health as well as a BA in Public Administration.
During his time as assistant head of Health Services at the City Council of Springs, he extended his field of expertise to food safety, undertaking further studies in food safety management systems.
After concluding his career at the local authority in 1999, he became involved in product development, ran an artisanal cheese factory, worked as a food safety consultant for various food industry brands, and served as an external food safety auditor in the retail sector.
In 2005 he became involved in the organised dairy industry by managing various statutory projects on behalf of the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA).
He currently serves as the general manager of the DSA, an independent non-profit organisation, dedicated to promoting dairy quality and safety for the benefit of both the industry and the consumer. He serves on several Milk SA advisory committees and technical committees of organisations such as the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and the International Dairy Federation (IDF).
