 
 
National Service For Udder Health And Milk Quality |
|
Bacterial infection of the mammary gland is the most economically
devastating disease of the dairy industry. The national service for udder health and milk quality is a non profit organization, who’s objective is improving the udder health and milk quality of all milk producers (cows and sheep) in Israel. Founded by the Israel Dairy Board, Israel Cattle Breeders Association, and the Dairy industry, the National service was streamlined in 1997 from 5 regional laboratories to its present form. The organization today consists of two Regional Mastitis Control Laboratories and the Mastitis Reference Center witch is part of the Kimron Veterinary Institute situated at Beit Dagon near Tel Aviv. The headquarters and the northern laboratory are situated at Caesaria; the laboratory serves approximately 60% of all herds, from the Golan Heights in the North, to the Tel Aviv area in the South. The Southern laboratory at Masmiya (near Kiryat Malachi) serves all herds south of Tel Aviv, including the lowest dairy herd in the world, near the Dead Sea, and as far South as Eilat. The National service is funded by the Israel Dairy Board. Services are provided to all milk producers by virtue of the levy on all milk marketed, and with no further payment on behalf of the producers. Services provided to all dairy herds in the country: u Laboratory diagnosis and services v C.M.T. testing. v Periodic sampling and annalization of all dairycow herds. v Analysis of samples from mastitic cows sent by dairy herd owners. v Analysis of samples sent by dairymen from pre-partum cows for sub clinical mastitis. v Antibiograms providing information to the clinical veterinarian. v Evaluation of teat dip samples from dairyherds. v Bulk tank analysis for Strep. Agalactiae. v Progesterone levels in milk, (additional service paid for separately). uUdder Health v Tracing and planning the eradication of contagious mastitis.  E.g. Strep. Agalactiae ,Staph. Aureus.vAdvice during the eradication phase . vAdvice to producers with high Somatic Cell Counts and/or high cell plate counts.v Planning, implementation, and follow up on programs to combat mastitis in individual cows, and on a herd basis .
uAnalysis of milking parlors and milking equipment. v Advice on milking parlor construction. v Advice to dairy farmers on milking machine specifications. v Supervision of companies supplying milking equipment, teat dips and detergents. v Static and dynamic testing of milk parlors. v Milk parlor trouble shooting. u Education v Advice on laboratory facilities and laboratory examinations. v Organization of workshops. v Publication of technical news letters. v Promotion of research projects. v Conducting of field studies. v Advice, co-ordination, and follow up of all services provided. |