The present reviews mastitis in small ruminants, focusing important aspects of etiology, epidemiology, diagnose, control, and prophylaxis. There was a special concern in review studies developed in Brazil, since mastitis results from a combination of many factors such as environmental and management conditions that concur for the action of etiological agents and for the epidemiology of this relevant disease. The prevalence mastitis in goats varies from 22 to 75%, with higher frequency of subclinical cases. In Brazil there are few studies about epidemiologic aspects of mastitis in small ruminants. In the other hand, the disease has growing in importance in meat producing small ruminants, mainly sheep. The mastitis caused by staphylococci is the most prevalent in small ruminants. The zoonotic importance of some milk pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus emphasizes the importance of the elimination this bacteria by carriers between goat and sheep milk farms. Some diagnostic techniques need more standardization, especially those used in goats that demonstrated some peculiarities. Mastitis control strategies will be discussed include the management of the females and their offspring, milking procedures and vaccination protocols.
Mastitis; goats; sheep; etiology; epidemiology; diagnosis; control
