One of the most serious diseases affecting dairy cattle, causing significant losses both in
breeding and economy, is mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland. Due to the economic
importance of this issue, many research teams are striving to develop an easy-to-apply and, most
importantly, effective method to prevent mastitis. The use of traditional methods for mastitis detecting
and treating, as well as improvement in hygienic conditions, have not yielded the expected results in
combating this disease combating. Currently, the main task is to find the tools that would allow for
the rapid detection of mastitis and the improvement of udder health in cows while maintaining high
milk production, which is essential for the profitability of dairy cattle farming. Accurate and rapid
diagnostic tools, with the simultaneous capability of identifying pathogens, may help to reduce losses.
Sufficient sensitivity and specificity for tests are required to minimize the number of false-positive
and false-negative cases. Efforts are also being made to determine the optimal threshold value for
detecting the disease at its earliest possible stage. The estimation of somatic cell count (SCC) as a
phenotypic indicator of mastitis is widely used. A more precise parameter for accurately describing
udder health is the differential somatic cell count (DSCC). The well-known California Mastitis Test
(CMT) is an inexpensive, easy, and rapid method for mastitis detection useful on farms. The latest
diagnostic methods for mastitis utilize tests based on the activity of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase
(NAGase) or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as the determination of acute phase proteins (APPs)
in blood serum and milk (such as haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, and ceruloplasmin).
Research also focuses on the genomic improvement of mastitis resistance in successive generations,
and for this purpose, many quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs) have been identified. In recent years, immunotherapy has become an increasingly common
area of research, including vaccinations, T/B cell immunotherapy, RNA immunotherapy, epigenetic
immunotherapy, stem cell therapy, and native secretory factors. An important aspect of the control of
mastitis is the implementation of strategies that focus primarily on preventing the disease through
appropriate breeding and farm management practices. In the forthcoming years, a significant
challenge will be the development of universal diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that can be
effectively implemented as alternatives to antibiotic therapy. Future research should prioritize the
advancement of preventive and therapeutic techniques, such as immunotherapies, bacteriocins,
herbal therapy, and nanoparticle technology.