Antibiotic dry buffalo therapy: effect of intramammary administration of benzathine cloxacillin against Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in dairy water buffalo

Jacopo Guccione,Fausto Toni,Massimo Pascale,Paolo Ciaramella,Antonella Pesce,Caterina Salzano,Francesco Diuccio,Luigi D’Andrea,Giuliano Borriello

doi:10.1186/s12917-020-02410-7

Abstract

BackgroundMastitis is one of the most costly diseases in Mediterranean buffalo (MB). At present, just a few specific antibiotics registered for this dairy specie have been synthetized. Efficacy of an antibiotic dry buffalo therapy (aDBT) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) mastitis, based on intra-quarter administration of 600 mg of benzathine cloxacillin, have been evaluated for the first time. Eighty MB’s quarters received a drying-off therapy (aDBT-group) and 80 were left untreated (no-aDBT-group). They were sampled at drying-off (pre-treatment) and at the resumption of milking [< 10 days in milk (DIM)]. Fresh calver mastitis rate, dry period new mastitis rate, dry period cure rate, and persistent mastitis rate were calculated for clinical monitoring. Overall proportion of positive quarters/animals, quarters affected by mastitis or intramammary infections (IMI), effects on somatic cell count (SCC) and milk yield were also assessed.ResultsAn inter-group difference (aDBT vs. no-aDBT) was recorded for all the indexes considered. An intra-group (drying-off vs. < 10 DIM) difference was detected in aDBT-group regarding the proportion of positive-cultured quarters and animals. Concerning the latter, an inter-groups difference was also recorded at second sampling. No clinical mastitis due to the S. aureus was observed. Regarding the subclinical ones, a higher intra-group difference was observed in aDBT than no-aDBT group, while an inter-group difference was recorded at second sampling. No protective effect was observed against IMI. SCC showed an inter-group difference at second sampling, while none difference was instead detected for milk yield.ConclusionsThe effects against S. aureus mastitis of benzathine cloxacillin administration at drying-off were assessed for the first time in MB. Its use shows encouraging results in reducing the proportion of mastitis and positive animals at the resumption of the lactation.

Highlights

Mastitis is one of the most costly diseases in Mediterranean buffalo (MB)
Based on what has been reported in the literature, several contagious, (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae), environmental (e.g. Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Escherichia coli) and opportunist (e.g. Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci, Streptococcus pluranimalium) bacteria were recognized as mastitis-causing in MB [3,4,5]
The present study provides evidence on clinical findings associated with antibiotic dry buffalo therapy (aDBT) allowing some scientific considerations never conceived of before in MB’s mastitis management

Summary

Introduction

Mastitis is one of the most costly diseases in Mediterranean buffalo (MB). At present, just a few specific antibiotics registered for this dairy specie have been synthetized. The goal of udder-health management programs is to minimize the number of infected quarters at calving and the chances of increases of SCC in early lactation stages [9, 10]. Both in MB and cow’s lactation stages, this is recognized as a critical time for mastitis control [4, 9, 10], only for the second one, several strategies have been developed to control the effects of mastitis-causing bacteria. Even the latter cannot be considered as a universal remedy because herd characteristics and management can deeply limit its use at an individual-cow level [11]

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