Mastitis News and Research

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Mastitis is the inflammation of breast tissue. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common etiological organism responsible, but Staphylococcus epidermidis and streptococci are occasionally isolated as well.

Scientists find mechanism behind bird flu infections in dairy cattle

When H5N1 bird flu first began infecting U.S. cattle in early 2024, diagnosis was elusive, because in cows, the disease looked completely different.

19 Jun 2026

How a tiny H5N1 dose triggers massive virus shedding in cow milk

Experimental infection studies in lactating Holstein cows showed that H5N1 B3.13 can infect the bovine mammary gland at doses as low as 10 TCID50, producing extremely high viral loads in milk. However, the virus did not transmit to sentinel cows through repeated exposure to contaminated milking equipment or through close contact under high-biocontainment conditions, suggesting that real-world dairy-farm spread depends on additional cofactors.

25 May 2026

Infectious H5N1 virus detected in dairy farm air

Findings from California dairy farms show H5N1 in air and wastewater, indicating overlooked transmission routes and implications for outbreak management.

8 May 2026

Immune cells shape maternal and infant health during lactation

It's widely known that breastfeeding impacts the health of both mother and child, but the underlying biology that leads to these effects has been understudied.

26 Feb 2026

New antimicrobial compounds offer safer solution for bovine mastitis

The dairy industry has been plagued by a persistent global problem for decades - bacterial infection of cow udders that significantly reduces milk production.

10 Oct 2025

New 3D printed breast tissue model sheds light on milk production

Human breast milk is uniquely adapted to meet an infant's nutritional needs. Surprisingly, we still know very little about how milk is even made in the breast.

27 Jun 2025

Unexpected viral reservoir: influenza A thrives in cattle mammary glands

Researchers uncover how influenza A virus infects dairy cattle, revealing the mammary gland's surprising role in viral replication and transmission through milk.

15 Jan 2025

Alarming spread of H5N1 bird flu in US dairy cattle reveals cross-species transmission dangers

Researchers discovered that the H5N1 avian influenza virus has spilled over into dairy cattle in the US, posing significant cross-species transmission risks. Their multidisciplinary study reveals the virus's evolution and its zoonotic potential, emphasizing the need for heightened biosecurity measures.

25 Jul 2024

Study finds dairy cows vulnerable to flu strains from birds, humans, and pigs

Researchers compared the distribution of sialic acid receptors in the respiratory tract and mammary glands of dairy cattle naturally infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus.

18 Jul 2024

Study shows cows harbor both human and avian flu receptors in their mammary glands

Study investigates the expression of influenza A virus (IAV) receptors in bovine respiratory, cerebral, and mammary tissues, revealing significant localization of human and duck receptors in mammary glands and predominant chicken receptors in the respiratory tract, which may influence the transmission and pathogenesis of IAV in cattle.

8 May 2024

Researchers investigate the association between low fertility and uterine microbiota in dairy cows

Reduced fertility prolongs the interval from calving to conception in dairy cows, resulting in significant economic losses to dairy farms.

7 Jul 2023

World's largest map of breast tissue provides an unprecedented understanding of mammary biology

A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer, University of California, Irvine and Baylor College of Medicine has created the world's largest and most comprehensive map of normal breast tissue, providing an unprecedented understanding of mammary biology that may help identify therapeutic targets for diseases such as breast cancer.

28 Jun 2023

Overcoming challenges in Point of Care diagnostics in veterinary medicine

In this interview, we speak to Dr. Naomi Urbina, senior scientist at Fortis, about recent developments in Point of Care diagnostics in veterinary medicine, and about how Nanocomposix services can help overcome potential challenges in the field.

From nanoComposix 24 Apr 2023

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022: The Antibiotic Footprint of Farming

We spoke to Coilin Nuna, the Scientific Advisor for the Alliance to Save our Antibiotics, about how antibiotics are used in farming and why the overuse of antibiotics in farming contributes to the problem of antimicrobial resistance.

23 Nov 2022

What is the association between maternal weight status and the composition of the milk microbiome?

Researchers reviewed current literature to determine correlations between human milk microbiota and maternal weight based on pregnancy and postpartum BMI and gestational weight gain.

5 Oct 2022

FDA grants Breakthrough Device designation for Emily's Care Nourish Test System

Lactation Lab, which offers the most scientifically advanced breast milk testing available, has announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has granted the company Breakthrough Device designation for its latest device Emily's Care Nourish Test System that tests and provides a nutritional analysis of breast milk.

26 May 2022

Study examines safety of COVID-19 vaccination during lactation

A new preprint, recently released on the medRxiv* server, reports from real life in a cohort of mother-child dyads in Singapore. The mothers were lactating after having received COVID-19 vaccination.

25 Jun 2021

Mother's diet while breastfeeding can shape the profile of human milk oligosaccharides

Research has shown that human milk is the optimal nutrition source for neonates and infants. It confers protection against both immediately life-threatening infant diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis, as well as later onset diseases in adults, like obesity, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

16 Dec 2020

Experts to address factors that cause low dairy consumption in low- and middle-income countries

Low dairy consumption is common among low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, with the demand for milk in these countries projected to increase over the next few decades, there is an opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people from the nutritional benefits of dairy products.

15 Oct 2020

Study: Antibiotics have prolonged effects on breast milk microbiota in mothers of preterm infants

A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children has found that mothers of preterm babies have highly individual breast milk microbiomes, and that even short courses of antibiotics have prolonged effects on the diversity and abundance of microbes in their milk.

3 Sep 2020