Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Subclinical mastitis (SCM) remains a major productivity‐limiting disease in dairy cattle, particularly in low‐resource settings where diagnostic access is limited. The California mastitis test (CMT) is widely used for on‐farm SCM detection but is increasingly inaccessible in Ethiopia due to...

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Main Authors: Sisay Weldegebriel Zeweld, Enquebaher Kassaye Tarekegn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-07-01
Series:Veterinary Medicine and Science
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70499
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author Sisay Weldegebriel Zeweld
Enquebaher Kassaye Tarekegn
author_facet Sisay Weldegebriel Zeweld
Enquebaher Kassaye Tarekegn
author_sort Sisay Weldegebriel Zeweld
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Subclinical mastitis (SCM) remains a major productivity‐limiting disease in dairy cattle, particularly in low‐resource settings where diagnostic access is limited. The California mastitis test (CMT) is widely used for on‐farm SCM detection but is increasingly inaccessible in Ethiopia due to high costs and supply constraints. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a newly formulated, low‐cost Ethiopian mastitis test (EMT) reagent as an alternative to CMT under field conditions. A cross‐sectional study was conducted from October 2024 to February 2025 in Mekelle, Ethiopia, involving 112 lactating dairy cows across diverse farm settings. Milk samples were tested using both EMT and CMT reagents, and somatic cell count (SCC) served as the reference standard. Diagnostic agreement was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, Kappa statistics and receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. EMT demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.14%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 85.42%. The Kappa value (κ = 0.87) indicated strong agreement with CMT. ROC analysis confirmed high diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.908), although slightly lower than CMT (AUC = 1.0). EMT also showed strong associations with established SCM risk factors, such as cow age, breed, hygiene, nutrition and housing. These findings validate EMT as a reliable, field‐adaptable and economically feasible diagnostic tool for SCM. Its adoption could enhance udder health surveillance, reduce reliance on imports and promote sustainable dairy production in Ethiopia. National scale‐up and broader ecological validation are recommended to support policy integration and widespread implementation.
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spelling doaj-art-cd1f2e436211447994ff69b3ad0a34fb2025-08-20T03:08:28ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine and Science2053-10952025-07-01114n/an/a10.1002/vms3.70499Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in EthiopiaSisay Weldegebriel Zeweld0Enquebaher Kassaye Tarekegn1Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety College of Veterinary Sciences, Mekelle University Mekelle EthiopiaDepartment of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety College of Veterinary Sciences, Mekelle University Mekelle EthiopiaABSTRACT Subclinical mastitis (SCM) remains a major productivity‐limiting disease in dairy cattle, particularly in low‐resource settings where diagnostic access is limited. The California mastitis test (CMT) is widely used for on‐farm SCM detection but is increasingly inaccessible in Ethiopia due to high costs and supply constraints. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a newly formulated, low‐cost Ethiopian mastitis test (EMT) reagent as an alternative to CMT under field conditions. A cross‐sectional study was conducted from October 2024 to February 2025 in Mekelle, Ethiopia, involving 112 lactating dairy cows across diverse farm settings. Milk samples were tested using both EMT and CMT reagents, and somatic cell count (SCC) served as the reference standard. Diagnostic agreement was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, Kappa statistics and receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. EMT demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.14%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 85.42%. The Kappa value (κ = 0.87) indicated strong agreement with CMT. ROC analysis confirmed high diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.908), although slightly lower than CMT (AUC = 1.0). EMT also showed strong associations with established SCM risk factors, such as cow age, breed, hygiene, nutrition and housing. These findings validate EMT as a reliable, field‐adaptable and economically feasible diagnostic tool for SCM. Its adoption could enhance udder health surveillance, reduce reliance on imports and promote sustainable dairy production in Ethiopia. National scale‐up and broader ecological validation are recommended to support policy integration and widespread implementation.https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70499California mastitis testdairy cowsdiagnostic accuracyEthiopiaEthiopian mastitis testsubclinical mastitis
spellingShingle Sisay Weldegebriel Zeweld
Enquebaher Kassaye Tarekegn
Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia
Veterinary Medicine and Science
California mastitis test
dairy cows
diagnostic accuracy
Ethiopia
Ethiopian mastitis test
subclinical mastitis
title Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia
title_full Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia
title_fullStr Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia
title_short Comparative Evaluation of a Locally Formulated Subclinical Mastitis Test Reagent Against the California Mastitis Test (CMT) in Dairy Cows in Ethiopia
title_sort comparative evaluation of a locally formulated subclinical mastitis test reagent against the california mastitis test cmt in dairy cows in ethiopia
topic California mastitis test
dairy cows
diagnostic accuracy
Ethiopia
Ethiopian mastitis test
subclinical mastitis
url https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70499
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