710590LacDetectClosedGRD Proof of ConceptInnovate UKMastitis in dairy cattle is the inflammation of the mammary gland and udder tissue and is the most common disease in dairy cattle, affecting 50% of herds in any one year. The UK is the third largest milk producer in the EU, producing approximately 13 billion litres of milk every year with a value of £3.3 billion in 2010. The average dairy farmer is currently losing £15,000 to £45,000 each year due to poor quality milk and ancillary costs as a result of mastitis. There is a real need for a new field test that can reliably and rapidly detect sub-clinical (early stage) mastitis on-farm, because if the disease is diagnosed in its early stages, a large proportion of the costs associated with treating clinical cases can be avoided. We are developing a field diagnostic test system for raw milk which provides results in less than a minute, enabling farmers and vets to detect sub-clinical mastitis at a far earlier stage than all current field tests can provide. We wish to carry out this project to create a proof of concept prototype - LacDetect® – an innovative, portable and economic field test system that allows for the immediate assessment of somatic cell counts to detect clinical/sub-clinical (early stage mastitis). It fills significant gaps by providing users with a reliable method to test on-farm, where decisions must often be made immediately. Our patented dual-result measuring method uniquely allows users to assess both udder health changes as well as milk quality at an early stage. This makes it possible to assess treatment options immediately, assisting with a more targeted approach to the use of antibiotics, with significant economic and welfare benefits.