Physical examination combined with bacterial isolation and histological
investigation were used to assess the mammary gland health condition in Egyptian
buffalo. Out of four hundreds lactating buffaloes examined physically. Examination of
iJ ," milk samples collected from 127 buffaloes for bacterial isolates was carried out.
The percentage of abnormal udders reached v.v 0 %. The most observed
abnormalities were supernumerary teats, blind quarters, extrateat orifice, stepped
udders and atrophied quarters. ;. Y % of the examined samples had high total bacterial
counts (TBC), indicating that the sanitation conditions of the buffaloes' environment is
not appropriate. Moreover, the most prevalent mastitis pathogens were Staphylococcal isolates (t ".')\ %), Streptococcus dysaga/actiae (Y r, i '\ %), Bacillus
(\ Y %), and Coliform (0, i %). When the mammary tissue submitted to detailed histological investigation,
severe deterioration of secretory tissue which is mostly replaced by connective tissue
stroma accompanied with inflammatory and fibroblastic cell infiltration was found.
Mer: ever, corpora amylacea was found in the lumen of some of the degenerated
acir». These histological alterations were accompanied with the occurrence of multiple
infection of the mammary gland. II was concluded that great deal of attention is
required to diagnose, segregate and properly treat the infected buffaloes. On the other
hand, early culling of the buffaloes with distorted mammary gland should greatly
decrease the chance of the vulnerabie tissue for pathogenic infection.