“This project developed a tool that supports a shift away from visual diagnosis and blanket antibiotic use toward selective, data-informed treatment of clinical mastitis – enhancing antimicrobial stewardship while improving farm productivity.”
Dr Stephanie Bullen, Dairy Australia
Mastitis is the number one health issue in dairy cows. It costs the Australian dairy industry $150m annually and accounts for two- thirds of the antibiotics supplied by vets to dairy farmers. Treatment decisions have historically been based on visual observation but incorporating data about the animal’s history or type of infection to the decision-making process can significantly improve antibiotic use and treatment outcomes.
This $3.5m, three-year project built a digital tool that collates the individual historical data of individual dairy cows. Harnessing AI to provide tailored management advice to farmers and vets based on individual animal history and the type of infection.
Such advice includes which antibiotics to administer, if any. The final tool was released to the Australian Dairy Industry via DataVat, and is available on both Google Play and the Apple store.
The project team conduct thorough research and trials on Australian dairy farms across New South Wales, and Victoria, with a prototype tool tested as part of the project.
August 2025 - Final Report: Clinical Mastitis Decision Support Tool
October 2024 - Presentation: Digital Agrifood Summit, Dr Matthew Shaffer, DataGene
