The College of Veterinary Medicine banked nearly $3 million from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for veterinary medicine professor Ronald Erskine’s dairy research.
Erskine leads a group of researchers who work to decrease mastitis, an udder infection, and antibiotic use while increasing the feasibility of dairy farms.
Their past work won them the grant, which also was awarded to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Mississippi State University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
According to a press release, the five-year grant will help fund Erskine’s research to reduce mastitis, which can cost up to $600 to treat per infection. Mastitis negatively affects the milk the cow can produce and the overall health of the cow.
He said Michigan is one of the top states in controlling the quality of milk and mastitis.
The infection can be spread through contact with contaminated materials, such as hands or machinery.
“If we can find better ways to prevent the disease from occurring, then we won’t need to use drugs,” he said. “That would (be) good for farmers, good for consumers and good for the health of the cow. It’s a win-win situation.”
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