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Review
. 2016 Oct;9(10):1075-1081.
doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2016.1075-1081. Epub 2016 Oct 15.

Infrared thermography: A potential noninvasive tool to monitor udder health status in dairy cows

M Sathiyabarathi  1 , S Jeyakumar  1 , A Manimaran  1 , G Jayaprakash  2 , Heartwin A Pushpadass  3 , M Sivaram  4 , K P Ramesha  5 , D N Das  5 , Mukund A Kataktalware  5 , M Arul Prakash  6 , R Dhinesh Kumar  5
Affiliations
Review

Infrared thermography: A potential noninvasive tool to monitor udder health status in dairy cows

M Sathiyabarathi et al. Vet World. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

The animal husbandry and livestock sectors play a major role in the rural economy, especially for the small and marginal farmers. India has the largest livestock population in the world and ranks first in the milk production. Mastitis is the most common and expensive infectious disease in dairy cattle. The global economic losses per year due to mastitis amounts to USD 35 billion and for Indian dairy industry ₹6000 crores per year. Early detection of mastitis is very important to reduce the economic loss to the dairy farmers and dairy industry. Automated methods for early and reliable detection of mastitis are currently in focus under precision dairying. Skin surface temperature is an important indicator for the diagnosis of cow's illnesses and for the estimation of their physiological status. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a simple, effective, on-site, and noninvasive method that detects surface heat, which is emitted as infrared radiation and generates pictorial images without causing radiation exposure. In human and bovine medicine, IRT is used as a diagnostic tool for assessment of normal and physiological status.

Keywords: cows; infrared thermography; mastitis diagnosis; udder health; udder surface temperature.

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Figures

Figure-1
Figure-1
Traditional versus recent trends in mastitis diagnosis of dairy cattle.
Figure-2
Figure-2
Infrared thermogram and visual image of eye and udder surface.
Figure-3
Figure-3
Infrared thermogram of udder quarters from the lateral side. LFQ: Left front quarter, RFQ: Right front quarter, LHQ: Left hind quarter, RHQ: Right hind quarter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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