Development of protocols to evaluate in-line mastitis-detection systems

This paper proposes and discusses a methodology to evaluate the performance of automated mastitis-detection systems with respect to their practical value on farm. The protocols are based on 3 on-farm requirements: (1) to detect cows with clinical mastitis promptly and accurately to enable timely and appropriate treatment, (2) to identify cows with high somatic cell count to manage bulk milk SCC levels, and (3) to report the mastitis infection status of cows at the end of lactation to support decisions on individual cow dry-cow therapy. Separate protocols for each requirement are proposed and discussed, including gold standards, evaluation tests, performance indicators, and performance targets. Aspects that require further research or clarification are identified. Actual field data are used as examples. Further debate is invited, the aim being to achieve international agreement on how to evaluate and report performance of different mastitis-detection technologies. Better performance information will allow farmers to compare different mastitis-detection systems sensibly and fairly before investing. Also, the use of evaluation protocols should help technology providers to refine current, or develop new, automated mastitis-detection systems. Such developments are likely to accelerate adoption of these systems, potentially leading to improved animal health, milk quality, and labor productivity.