How Mastatest works

The Mastatest® system takes a completely new approach to on‑farm mastitis testing. It’s quick and requires minimal training.

Set up and run your Mastatest with ease

Load cartridge

Add a milk sample to Mastatest cartridge, pour off the excess, then replace the lid. Firmly tap cartridge to dislodge any bubbles.

Testing starts

Place the filled cartridge into the Lapbox™, enter cow number and quarter, then start the test.

Results in 24 hours!

Fully interpreted test results, and a treatment recommendation* will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

*if feature is enabled by your vet

Our unique cartridge

The Mastatest cartridge is a unique, patent-protected, approach for on-farm milk culturing. Simply fill, tip off the excess, and close the lid. Easy!

Each cartridge has 24 independent wells, pre-loaded with all of the reagents needed to test for multiple bacterial types, and for sensitivity to antibiotics.

When a milk sample is poured on, the wells let just the right amount of milk in. Excess can simply be poured away. No fuss, no mess, and it takes just seconds to complete.

Cloud-based analysis

The Mastatest system uses an electronic eye to monitor the colour-change reactions in each of the cartridge wells. Data is automatically sent to the cloud, where our analytical algorithms read and interpret the results for you.

Each test result will tell you what type of bacteria is present. In most clinical cartridges, you will also get information on antibiotic sensitivity (minimum inhibitory concentrations, or MIC values).

Results are reported to you in an email, and within the online portal.

Find out more about results in the FAQs

Bacterial data with ease

With Mastatest you get detailed information on what the cause of a mastitis case might be, that informs your treatment and management decisions. For clinical tests Mastatest can identify:

E.coli & other Gram Negative
Klebsiella/Serratia
Staph. aureus
Coagulase negative Staph (CNS) / Non-aureus Staph (NAS)
Strep. uberis
Strep. dysgalactiae
Other Strep. species
Other Gram Positive bacteria

Mastatest can also accurately identify cases where there is no bacterial growth, mixed (2) bacteria, or contaminated samples.

Accuracy you can trust

Mastatest has been researched thoroughly in both laboratory and farm trials.

Lab trials show Mastatest gives equivalent sensitivity and specificity in identifying the common bacterial types tested when compared with laboratory-based methods.

Farm trials show using Mastatest as part of a selective mastitis treatment approach (vs a blanket treatment approach) leads to significant reductions in antibiotic use with no negative impacts on cure rates.

The reduction in antibiotic use you can expect will be based on your farm's mix of prevalent bacteria causing mastitis.

Read the practical on-farm trial

Read the laboratory-based study

Read the subclinical mastitis study

Online data management

With Mastatest, all your data is automatically uploaded and saved into our secure online customer portal, accessible 24/7 for you and your veterinarian. You also have access to our easy-to-use and helpful analytical tools and reports.

Your data can also be integrated into some herd management systems, such as DairyComp and BoviSync.

Over time, you'll build up a unique picture of how mastitis is impacting the herd, which informs optimal decisions for dry-off, culling, vaccination, treatment protocols and more.

The Mastatest system

The Mastatest system is easy to use, provides accurate and timely data and information to guide optimal mastitis treatment, to save you money and increase your milk volumes.

Analyse your data over time to make the best possible management decisions for a healthy and productive herd.

For more information, contact our support team or your local distributor to discuss whether Mastatest is right for you.