The present work is a large epidemiological study aiming to detect the prevalence of subclinical mastitis and to investigate the major udder pathogens in Jalisco State, western Mexico. For this purpose, 2205 dairy cows, representing 33 Mexican dairy herds, were involved. Of 2205 cows, 752 mastitic animals were diagnosed and only 2,979 milk samples could be obtained for further investigation. All 2979 milk samples were subjected to California Mastitis Test (CMT) to differentiate clinical cases from subclinical ones where 1996 samples (67 %) reacted positively. Of these, 1087 samples (54.5%) came from cows suffering from clinical cases of mastitis. Bacteriological identification of the causative agents revealed the presence of a major group of pathogens including the Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), S.aureus, S.agalactiae, Corynebacterium spp. and Coliform bacteria which were detected in 464 (15.6%), 175 (5.9%), 200 (6.8%), 417 (14%) and 123 (4.1%) of the 2927 investigated quarters, 295 (15.4%), 118 (15.7%), 111 (14.8%), 227 (30.2%) and 109 (14.5%) of the 752 examined cows and in 33 (100%), 22 (66.7%), 19 (57.6%), 30 (90.1%) and 27 (81.8%) of the 33 herds involved, respectively. Other pathogens could be detected in the investigated milk samples such as S. dysgalactiae (0.4%), S.uberis (0.37%), Bacillus spp. (1%), Nocardia spp. (0.6%) und Candida spp. (0.1%). Meanwhile, others were present in a negligible ratio; including the Aerococcus viridans, and Enterococcus spp., Lactococcus lactis, S. bovis.<br>O trabalho atual é um estudo epidemiológico que objetiva detectar a predominância da mastite subclínica e investigar os micróbios patogênicos principais do úbere no México ocidental. Com esta finalidade, foram utilizadas 2205 vacas leiteiras, representando 33 rebanhos de leiteiras mexicanas. Além dessas 2205 vacas, 752 animais com mastite foram diagnosticados, considerando-se que somente 2979 amostras do leite poderiam ser obtidas para a posterior investigação. Todas as 2979 amostras do leite foram submetidas ao teste da mastite de Califórnia (CMT) para diferenciar casos clínicos dos subclínicos, visto que 1996 amostras (67%) reagiram positivamente. Além dessas, 1087 amostras (54.5%) vieram das vacas que sofrem de casos clínicos de mastite. A identificação bacteriológica dos agentes causais revelou a presença dos Staphylococcus negativos para coagulase (CNS), S. aureus, S. agalactiae, outros spp. Streptococcal, Corynebacterium spp., e as bactérias de coliformes foram detectadas em 464 (15.6%), 175 (5.9%), 200 (6.8%), 109 (3.9%), 417 (14%) e em 123 (4.1%) dos 2927 quartos investigados; em 295 (15.4%), 118 (15.7%), 111 (14.8%), 95 (12.6%), 227 (30.2%) e em 109 (14.5%) das 752 vacas examinadas e, finalmente, em 33 (100%), 22 (66.7%), 19 (57.6%), 30 (90.1%), 30 (90.1%) e em 27 (81.8%) dos 33 rebanhos envolvidos, respectivamente