When a severe mastitis outbreak surged through Richard 900-cow herd, the situation escalated quickly. Over just six weeks, he recorded 250 cases of mastitis, and his bulk tank SCC climbed to 340,000. Treatments were increasing, milk losses were mounting, and the pressure to cull high-SCC cows was intensifying. Despite multiple attempts to contain the spread, new infections continued to appear.
Richard needed clarity—not more guesswork.
That clarity arrived with Snapshot®.
Revealing the True Source of Infection Pressure
The Snapshot® analysis indicated a high presence of environmental mastitis markers, demonstrating that the outbreak was rooted in exposure risk rather than contagious pathogens. Instead of aggressive culling or repeated treatment rounds, the data pointed to correctable routine and workflow issues.
Armed with this insight, Richard and his team made targeted adjustments to their milking SOPs, identified cows needing culture testing rather than culling, and implemented a short list of practical environmental measures recommended through Snapshot.
These were straightforward steps—nothing costly, nothing complicated—just precise, evidence-driven changes based on pathogen and environmental profiling
The impact was decisive:
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Outbreak brought under control within two weeks
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SCC dropped steadily to 160,000, then 150,000
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New mastitis cases halted
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High-SCC cows were correctly cultured and managed instead of unnecessarily culled
Snapshot provided the direction needed to break the cycle of daily infections. Instead of reacting blindly, Richard had a clear map of what was driving the outbreak and how to stop it, allowing the herd to stabilise quickly and cost-effectively.
What Richard gained was confidence. The data behind Snapshot allowed him to take immediate, targeted action, regain control of the outbreak, and avoid avoidable losses. With practical changes to routines and environmental management, udder health returned to normal and the risk of further escalation was removed.