Abstract
Public concerns over the widespread prophylactic use of antibiotics have led to a search for alternatives to dry cow therapy for the prevention of intramammary infections. A popular alternative is to infuse a teat seal at drying-off. The teat seal is a viscous non-antibiotic formulation and when it is infused into the teat canal and the teat sinus it forms an internal seal that provides a physical barrier to invasion by mastitis-causing pathogens. Enhancement of teat seal formulations may be achieved using non-antibiotic additives such as bacteriocins, potent proteins produced by some bacteria that have the ability to kill other microorganisms. This paper traces the history of investigations at Moorepark Research Centre into the efficacy of teat seal plus lacticin 3147, a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis DPC3147, in the prevention of intramammary infections in dry cows. Indications from on-going investigations are that a dry cow formulation combining the two products has considerable potential as a non-antibiotic prophylactic product.
Highlights
Mastitis causes significant economic losses to the dairy industry, with annual costs worldwide estimated at $35 billion (Wellenberg et al, 2002)
Lacticin is a bacteriocin produced by L. lactis DPC3147 (Rea and Cogan, 1994; Ryan et al, 1998) that has a broad-spectrum of activity against all Gram-positive bacteria, including many mastitis-causing pathogens
Fewer viable S. aureus DPC5246 cells were recovered from quarters that had been infused with teat seal containing the lacticin demineralised whey protein (DWP) than from quarters infused with commercial teat seal (P
Summary
Mastitis causes significant economic losses to the dairy industry, with annual costs worldwide estimated at $35 billion (Wellenberg et al, 2002). For over 50 years, the practice of treating all udder quarters with a long-acting antibiotic at drying-off (dry cow therapy, DCT) has been an important part of mastitis treatment and prevention on dairy farms. DCT has been hugely successful in curing many existing subclinical infections and offers short-term protection against new intramammary infections (IMIs) during the early dry period. Public concerns over the widespread prophylactic use of antibiotics, coupled with an increasing interest in organic farming, have led to a search for alternatives to DCT for the prevention of intramammary infections
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
