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Dr. George McCommon (center), and his team, Dr. Saul Mofya (left) and research assistant Dr. Kingsley Kalu (right), are researching treatment options for mastitis in goats. Image courtesy of Fort Valley State University.
Since 2009, the U.S. goat industry has experienced a 57% increase in dairy operations, according to USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service. Today, U.S. goat milk sales exceed $90 million. However, like all dairy animals, goats are susceptible to mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary glands, which develops in the udder of dairy goats. Antibiotics are a common treatment, but there is a potential for drug residue in the milk and antibiotic resistance in the goats. With support from USDA NIFA, scientists at Fort Valley State University found that probiotics alone work well in treating mastitis in goats. The research is helpful for the average consumer, as well as farmers and their ability to treat their animals. For more information, read the Fort Valley State University news article.
