This Community meeting has been organised, since over the past 15 years in different countries of Western Europe including Scandinavia, a lot of research has been directed to the summer mastitis problem. Summer mastitis in cattle is a well known disease which, because of its abruptness and the difficulties concerned in defining the predisposing factors and the pathogens involved, is hard to control. Moreover, as it is anticipated that in the transmission of the bacteria one or more dipterans are involved, the complexity in defining the disease and hence co-ordinating our scientific knowledge in relation to practical control was stimulus enough for this workshop to be organised. Our aims can be summarised in the following goals: 1. Exchange of information in the practical, technical and scientific field in order to stimulate a co-ordinated research approach at a time in which the cattle husbandry sector is under great economical stress. 2. Inform research workers from countries where the disease is or seems to be, not endemic, on aspects that might be of interest for them in the approach of comparable problems. 3. To draw up conclusions and recommendations with regard to future research activities in order to avoid needless duplication of effort.
