Mastitis Control Research Articles

An on-site, highly specific immunosensor for Escherichia coli detection in field milk samples from mastitis-affected dairy cattle

Bovine mastitis is the most economically important infectious disease in dairy industry, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the major causative pathogens. Rapid identification and quantitative detection of E. coli are of great importance for bovine mastitis control and milk quality monitoring. Capitalizing on dielectrophoresis and interphase capacitance sensing, we have developed an immunosensor for E. coli detection by modifying low cost commercial microelectrodes with an E. coli specific antibody. The limit of detection reaches as low as 775 cells/mL within a 15 s’ response time, which can satisfy the requirement for on-site detection and field diagnosis of bovine mastitis. To demonstrate the sensor's specificity, tests against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis samples are performed showing negligible responses, and the selectivity is calculated to be 3063: 1. Furthermore, a simple pretreatment protocol is developed for on-site testing of raw milk, which only involves incubation, centrifugation and dilution steps. Then correct detection of E. coli is demonstrated for both artificially inoculated and infected field milk samples. This immunosensor and the corresponding protocol have advantages in speed, sensitivity, specificity, operability, and low cost, which make it highly promising for on-site pathogen detection of bovine mastitis.

Effect of Bismuth Subnitrate Teat Canal Sealant with Ampicillin-Cloxacillin Combination in Control of Bovine Mastitis in Selected Farms in Kenya

This study presents the results of effect of a combination of bismuth subnitrate teat canal sealant (Boviseal® -Bimeda® Animal Health, Ireland) and the antibiotic Ampicillin & Cloxacillin (Bovaclox® DC-Norbrook Laboratories Ltd-UK) when used during the dry period on occurrence of mastitis 100 days post-calving. The objectives of this study were: to determine the effect of Boviseal® teat canal sealant in combination with Bovaclox® DC in control of dairy cow mastitis 100 days after calving; to determine bacterial pathogens causing mastitis in the selected farms and to determine risk factors for occurrence of dairy mastitis in the selected farms. This controlled field trial was carried out in two Kenyan dairy farms: Chemusian Farm in Nakuru County and Gicheha Farm in Kiambu County. 156 dairy cows were used in the study. Healthy cows with no history of mastitis in their current lactation were recruited. They were randomly placed into either of the two study groups: the control and the test group. The Control group received Bovaclox® DC while the Test group received the Bovaclox® DC followed by Boviseal®. The cows were followed during the entire dry period and 100 days post-calving monitoring for mastitis occurrence. Cows in the control group were more susceptible to mastitis 100 days post-calving compared to cows in the treatment group (P<0.001, RR=4.4, OR=17.7). Of the bacterial pathogens, coagulase negative Staphylococci (CNS) were the most common pathogens isolated from mastitic milk at 34.6 % followed by Micrococcus spp. (9.0%). Other bacteria isolated were Streptococcus agalactiae (3.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (1.9%); Escherichia coli (0.6%) and various bacterial mixtures. Results of logistic regressions at P≤0.05 showed that farm, position of the quarter, type of barn floor and type of treatment were significantly associated with occurrence of mastitis. Cows in Gicheha farm whose barn floor was earthen, those cows in the control group and hindquarters were risk factors for mastitis (RR=1.5, 4.4 and 1.18 respectively). The results of this study showed that Bovaclox® DC + Boviseal® teat canal sealant combination applied during the dry period is more effective in controlling bovine mastitis 100 days post-calving compared to the use of Bovaclox® DC alone. The study thus recommends the use of Bovaclox® DC + Boviseal® dry cow combination for control of bovine mastitis.

Evaluation of the Immunomodulatory Ability of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Feedlot Cattle Against Mastitis Using a Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells In Vitro Assay.

Bovine mastitis, the inflammation of the mammary gland, affects the quality and quantity of milk yield. Mastitis control relies on single or multiple combinations of antibiotic therapy. Due to increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogens, the intramammary infusion of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been considered as a potential alternative to antibiotics for treating and preventing bovine mastitis through the improvement of the host immunity. Probiotic effects are a strain-dependent characteristic; therefore, candidate LAB strains have to be evaluated efficiently to find out the ones with the best potential. Here, we investigated LAB strains originally isolated from feedlot cattle’s environment regarding their ability in inducing the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggered inflammatory responses in bovine mammary epithelial (BME) cells in vitro. The BME cells were pre-stimulated with the LAB strains individually for 12, 24, and 48 h and then challenged with Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 12 h. The mRNA expression of selected immune genes—interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1α), IL-1β, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), IL-8, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (CXCL2), and CXCL3 were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results indicated that pretreatment with some Lactobacillus strains were able to differentially regulate the LPS inflammatory response in BME cells; however, strain-dependent differences were found. The most remarkable effects were found for Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL2074, which reduced the expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-8, and CXCL3, whereas Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL2084 diminished IL-1β, MCP-1, and IL-8 expression. The pre-stimulation of BME cells with the CRL2074 strain resulted in the upregulated expression of three negative regulators of the TLRs, including the ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20 (also called tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 3, TNFAIP3), single immunoglobin IL-1 single receptor (SIGIRR), and Toll interacting protein (Tollip) after the LPS challenge. The CRL2084 pre-stimulation upregulated only Tollip expression. Our results demonstrated that the L. acidophilus CRL2074 strain possess remarkable immunomodulatory abilities against LPS-induced inflammation in BME cells. This Lactobacillus strain could be used as candidate for in vivo testing due to its beneficial effects in bovine mastitis through intramammary infusion. Our findings also suggest that the BME cells immunoassay system could be of value for the in vitro evaluation of the immunomodulatory abilities of LAB against the inflammation resulting from the intramammary infection with mastitis-related pathogens.

Antibiotic dry cow therapy, somatic cell count, and milk production: Retrospective analysis of the associations in dairy herd recording data using multilevel growth models

Antibiotic dry cow therapy (DCT) is an important part of most mastitis control programs. Updating DCT recommendations is an ongoing topic due to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance. Finland, along with other Nordic countries, has implemented selective DCT for decades. Our study analyzed Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) information from 241 Finnish farmers who participated in a survey about their drying-off practices. The aim was to evaluate herd-level associations between milk somatic cell count (SCC), milk production, and various antimicrobial DCT approaches both cross-sectionally in 2016 and longitudinally in 2012−2016. The three DCT approaches in the study were selective, blanket, and no DCT use. An additional aim was to evaluate whether dynamic changes occurred in herd-average SCC and annual milk production over five years, and whether these potential changes differed between different DCT approaches. The method for the longitudinal analyses was growth modeling with random coefficient models. Differences in SCC and milk production between farms with different DCT approaches were minor. Regardless of the farm’s DCT approach, annual milk production increased over the years, while average SCC was reasonably constant. The variability in SCC and milk production across all DCT groups was low between years, and most of the variability was between farms. Compared to other milking systems, farms with automatic milking system (AMS) had higher SCC, and in 2016 higher milk production. The results of this study suggest that it is possible to maintain low herd-average SCC and good milk production when using selective DCT and following the guidelines for prudent antimicrobial use. Average SCC and milk production varied across the herds, suggesting that advice on DCT practices should be herd-specific. The methodology of growth modeling using random coefficient models was applicable in analyzing longitudinal data, in which the time frame was relatively short and the number of herds was limited.

Bovine mastitis: risk factors, therapeutic strategies, and alternative treatments - A review.

Bovine mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland, is the most common disease of dairy cattle causing economic losses due to reduced yield and poor quality of milk. The etiological agents include a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and can be either contagious (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Mycoplasma spp.) or environmental (e.g., Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Streptococcus uberis). Improving sanitation such as enhanced milking hygiene, implementation of post-milking teat disinfection, maintenance of milking machines are general measures to prevent new cases of mastitis, but treatment of active mastitis infection is dependant mainly on antibiotics. However, the extensive use of antibiotics increased concerns about emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and that led the dairy industries to reduce the use of antibiotics. Therefore, alternative therapies for prevention and treatment of bovine mastitis, particularly natural products from plants and animals, have been sought. This review provides an overview of bovine mastitis in the aspects of risk factors, control and treatments, and emerging therapeutic alternatives in the control of bovine mastitis.

Recurrent mastitis–persistent or new infections?

Recurrent clinical mastitis contributes to around half of all infections having an economic impact in the dairy industry. It leads to milk yield reduction, increased risk of mortality, and culling, and may be caused by new infections or a persistent infection after previous treatment. Disease management is dependent on the infecting species, necessitating accurate identification of the pathogen in the range of persistent and reinfection cases among recurrent infections using culture and molecular biological analysis. Milk samples from diagnosed clinical mastitis cases were collected from three Northern German dairy farms between 2011 and 2015. Totally, 2043 diagnosed mastitis cases were examined at quarter level (1598 (78.2 %) first and 445 (21.8 %) recurrent mastitis cases in lactation). Among the recurrent cases, 145 (32.6 %) cases were confirmed to harbor the same pathogenic species as previous infections. RAPD PCR confirmed the same species strain in 49 (11 %) of the recurrent infections. The contribution of new infections as compared to persistent infections in cases of clinical mastitis is clear from the data. Future studies in recurrent clinical mastitis control should be focused on influencing factors to prevent new infections in addition to therapeutic intervention and bacteriological cure.

Manpower Planning in The Application of Teat Dipping To Control Sub Clinical Mastitis in The Small Dairy Farms

The application of teat dipping to control subclinical mastitis especially in small dairy farms is important; however, the application needs additional activity that has an impact on labor usage. This paper aimed to describe the labor usage to apply teat dipping for subclinical mastitis control in the small dairy farms. The convenience sampling techniques applied to select 34 farmers in Bogor as the respondents. Workload analysis and labor productivity were used in examining the application of dot dipping in various small dairy farms in Bogor City to control subclinical mastitis. This study was based on two types of experiments in small dairy farms in Bogor, West Java, namely teat dipping and without teat dipping. The findings show that the application of teat dipping had an impact on three things, namely an increase in labor usage and its workload, an increase in labor productivity and a decrease in the number of subclinical mastitis prevalence. This study concluded that labor was an important factor to control subclinical mastitis in small dairy farms. An increase in labor productivity had an impact on reducing the costs of mastitis treatment and finally increase farmer’s income. Keywords: mastitis, labor, small dairy farms, teat dipping, workload analysis

Evaluation of the Test Characteristics of the HyMast® Bacteriological Test System

Mastitis continues to be a disease of major economic importance to the dairy industry, despite the wide use of mastitis control programs. Approaches to mastitis therapy may range from conservative to aggressive, depending on cow and management factors. Knowledge of the organism, prior to treatment, would appear to be of benefit in selecting the most appropriate course of therapy. The HyMast® test (Pharmacia & Upjohn, Kalamazoo, Michigan) is a selective media bacteriological test system for detection of gram-positive (Staphylococci, Streptococci) and gram-negative (coliform) organisms in milk. Although the primary use of this test has been for decision making in mastitis therapy, there is interest in identifying specific organisms from the test. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the HyMast test read by producers on-farm and by readers in-clinic at 3 time periods, compared to standard milk bacteriology.

The Benefits of Teat Dipping as Prevention of Mastitis

Mastitis is the major disease and the most costly disease of the dairy industry worldwide. One of the mastitis control programs that until now has been carried out and proven to be quite effective is the teat dipping method as a form of prevention. Various methods and uses of teat dipping solutions have been widely used and used for this purpose such as iodine, potassium permanganate, chlorhexidine, chlorhexidine gluconate chlorine, iodophor, sodium hypochlorite, lactic acid, phenolics and Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid (DDBSA). Pre milking and post milking teat disinfection have been recommended widely by veterinarians and adopted by dairy producers in increasing numbers. This procedure is simple to perform, economical, and effective in controlling contagious mastitis pathogens. More recently, teat dipping in association with good udder preparation reduced the rate of intramammary infections by environmental pathogens. This paper aims to provide a brief review of the benefits of teat dipping as a method of controlling the incidence of mastitis in dairy cows. Keywords : mastitis, teat dipping, pathogens, intramammary infections

Characterizing the attitudes and motivations of Ontario dairy producers toward udder health

Considerable research has focused on identifying risk factors for intramammary infections, yet mastitis remains a pervasive disease on dairy farms. Increasingly, researchers are appreciating the role of dairy producer mindset in determining management style and thus udder health status of the herd. The objective of this study was to explore the attitudes and motivations of Ontario dairy farmers toward udder health in herds with varying bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC). In December 2011, 5 focus groups were conducted across Ontario, Canada, with independent groups of dairy producers representing low, medium, and high BMSCC herds. Groups were established based on producer's weighted BMSCC levels as recorded over the summer of 2011. A semi-structured interview guide was followed to discuss topics relating to udder health. Thematic analysis was performed on the interview transcripts. Generally, producers noted management techniques (specifically culling infected cows and monitoring BMSCC), a perceived wealth of information on mastitis control, and a proactive whole-herd management approach engender the perception of control over mastitis. Producers in the low BMSCC group were confident in their level of knowledge and control of mastitis in their herds, whereas high BMSCC producers generally felt lower levels of control. Several areas were identified by producers that counteract this perception, contributing to perceived low levels of control over mastitis. Participants identified that at certain times they do not understand the cause of BMSCC on their farm. This attitude was especially prominent in the high BMSCC group. Other times, producers cited improper sample handling, seasonal issues, perceived milk culture shortcomings, and low herd size as factors that limited their control over mastitis in their herds. Though producers generally have high levels of self-efficacy beliefs when it comes to udder health management, the perception still exists that, under certain situations, mastitis is uncontrollable. This highlights the fact that educational and extension efforts need to focus on ensuring that producers employ proven mastitis diagnostic, prevention, and treatment practices in a systematic manner, with realistic expectations.

Prevalence of Subclinical Mastitis Pathogens in Small Dairy Farms in Republic of North Macedonia

Abstract Subclinical mastitis is an asymptomatic udder infection distributed worldwide with enormous losses in the dairy industry. The study’s objective was to determine the presence of this pathological condition in small dairy farms in the R. of N. Macedonia and to identify the most common associated bacteria. Milk samples were obtained from 96 dairy cows (378 udder quarters) in seven dairy farms, in 3 consecutive samplings 24–72 hours apart. The samples were cultured on routine bacteriological growth media and incubated for 24–48 hours. The isolates were identified by AximaiD Plus MALDITOF MS Platform. Subclinical mastitis was found in 49 animals (51%) and 104 infected quarters (27%). The most frequent isolated bacteria on cow level were Streptococcus uberis (19.4%), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (13.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (7.4%) and Staphylococcu ssimulans (7.4%). On quarter level, the most isolated pathogen was Streptococcus uberis (35.6%) followed by Staphylococcu shaemolyticus and Staphylococcus aureus (10.3% and 9.2% respectively). Subclinical mastitis was found to be highly present in the selected small dairy farms. The most prevalent bacteria identified in the dairy farms (Streptococcus uberis, Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase–negative staphylococci) indicate that poor management and udder health practices, inadequate milking procedures and lack of mastitis control strategies greatly contribute to occurrence and persistence of subclinical mastitis.

Causes, types, etiological agents, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, effects on human health and future aspects of bovine mastitis.

Mastitis is among the most common and challenging diseases of dairy animals. It is an inflammation of udder tissues due to physical damage, chemical irritation, or infection caused by certain pathogens. Bovine mastitis has been known for ages, but its complex etiology and multi-factorial nature make it difficult to control. Mastitis may have a negative impact on human health by inducing antibiotic-resistant pathogens that may spread, which is threatening. Researchers are continuously struggling to devise suitable methods for mastitis control. Management strategies are mainly focused on disease prevention by farm management which includes proper hygiene, trained staff to monitor minor changes in the udder or milk, and better diagnostic and treatment methods. New technologies which have the potential to unravel this complicated disease include improved diagnostic tools, based on advanced genomics or proteomics, prevention, based on vaccines and immune modulators, and metabolic products of probiotics such as bacteriocins and gene therapy.

Epidemiological evaluation of subclinical mastitis of dairy cows in Greece

Subclinical mastitis, diagnosed by elevated somatic cell count (SCC) in milk, is an important monitoring parameter of dairy cows’ udder health, related to their productivity and welfare. The present retrospective study aims to evaluate the epidemiology of subclinical mastitis (SCM) among the 37 herds of the Holstein Association of Greece participating in the milk quality recording system “ΙΩ”, from the start of 2015 until the end of 2018. The herds’ inclusion criterion was the consistency of monthly SCC recording throughout at least one full year between 2015 and 2018, with a maximum interval of 61 days between two consecutive monthly SCC recordings. Twenty-six herds (8630 cows) in 2015, thirty herds (10763 cows) in 2016, thirty herds (10945 cows) in 2017 and twenty-six herds (9597 cows) in 2018 were included. The prevalence of SCM and chronic SCM, the incidence rate of new cases of SCM, as well as the average somatic cell score and bulk tank milk SCC were determined for each of the four years. The results indicate a progressive deterioration of udder health from the onset of the cow’s productive life until culling. A year-over-year increase in the number of cows with subclinical mastitis led to an overall SCM prevalence of 34.5%, chronic SCM prevalence of 26.9% and a bulk tank milk SCC of 463000 cells/mL, in 2018. The average somatic cell score, a base 2logarithm of individual cow’s SCC, was found persistently above the subclinical mastitis indicative cut-off in all four years, with a peak in 2018. At herd level, the incidence rate of new SCM cases was 12 new cases / 100 cows / month; the highest incidence rate was observed in the early lactation stage group (1-60 days-in-milk), in all four years, reaching a peak of 31 new cases / 100 cows / month, in 2018. In 2018, prevalence of heifers’ SCM and chronic SCM was23.4% and 16.9%, respectively. Despite the adequate average 305-days milk yield (9608 kg in 2018), the results were indicative of poor udder health status, pointed out by reduced duration of cows’ productive life (less than 3 lactations)and lower milk quality (elevated SCC). The severity and wide spreading of subclinical mastitis in Greek dairy herds highlights the necessity of a national mastitis control program, aiming to improve the productive efficacy, management decisions accuracy and quality of produced milk.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics and Resistance Profile of Staphylococcus spp. from Bovine Mastitis

Background: Bovine mastitis remains one of the health problems that cause the most damage to milk producers. The negative impact of mastitis is due to reduced milk production, early slaughter of females, reduced commercial value of the affected animals, losses in the genetic potential of the herd, expenses with medicines and veterinary medical assistance. Staphylococcus spp. stands out as the cause of this disease and has been able to remain in the mammary gland, becoming resistant to several antimicrobials. The aims of the present study were to characterize the phenotypes, genotypes and resistance profiles of Staphylococcus spp. isolates from bovine mastitis cases in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.Materials, Methods & Results: These isolates were classified according to biochemical tests and the presence of the nuc gene. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for amplification of the mecA and blaZ genes was used to analyze the genetic potentials of antimicrobial resistance. Isolates were also phenotypically tested for resistance to nine antimicrobials (ampicillin, doxicillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, rifampicin, cephalothin, amoxicillin, nalidixic acid and oxacillin). The genetic potentials for biofilm production were evaluated by the amplifications of the icaD, icaA and bap genes. The phenotypic test of gentian violet was used for biofilm formation analyzes. Ninety-three (93.0%) of the isolates among the Staphylococcus spp. samples were classified as Staphylococcus aureus. The lowest percentage of sensitivity observed was for amoxicillin (28.0%). All of the isolates were sensitive to erythromycin and gentamicin, and 15 (15%) exhibited sensitivity to all of the drugs tested. All of the isolates were negative for the mecA gene, and 36 (36%) were positive for blaZ. In the adhesion microplate tests, 44 (44%) of the isolates were capable of biofilm formation. Of these, seven (15.9%) were strong formers, whereas 16 (36.3%) and 21 (47.8%) were moderate and weak formers, respectively. The icaD gene was confirmed in 89 (89%) of the isolates. The icaA gene was confirmed in 61 (61%) samples, and the bap gene in 52 (52%) samples. One of the samples did not possess icaA, icaD or bap and exhibited moderate biofilm formation according to the microplate adherence test. Sixteen isolates simultaneously exhibited the three genes tested for biofilm production (icaA, icaD and bap) and were negative according to the microplate adherence test.Discussion: The indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat mastitis is a common practice in the study area, which may have contributed to the high proportion of herds (88.23%; 15/17) with multi-resistant isolates, constituting a selection factor for the dissemination of resistant bacteria among herds. The absence of the mecA gene in the present study may be associated with the development of resistant bacteria through another mechanism, such as the overproduction of beta-lactamases. The results demonstrate that antimicrobial resistance occurs in Staphylococcus spp. that cause bovine mastitis in herds of Pernambuco and that these isolates have the a great capacity for biofilm formation. It is necessary to sensitize the professionals involved in the milk production chain of Brazil regarding the importance of the adequate use of antimicrobials for the treatment and control of mastitis, since studies in the country indicate the dissemination of resistant bacterial strains.

Mastitis control in bred dairy heifers using dry cow therapy and teat sealant to prevent new infections and to cure existing ones

ABSTRACT Objective Is use of dry cow therapy, teat sealant, or dry cow therapy + teat sealant more effective in controlling heifer mastitis and decreasing SCC than no treatment? Materials and Methods At 2 mo prepartum, 304 mammary quarters of 76 pregnant Holstein heifers were randomly assigned to (1) dry cow therapy, (2) teat sealant, (3) dry cow therapy + teat sealant, or (4) untreated control. Before treatment, mammary secretion samples were collected and stored for bacteriological analysis. After calving, infection data were compared with data collected prepartum, and treatment means were separated using SAS 9.3. Results and Discussion Compared with cure rate in untreated controls (55.2%), treatment with dry cow therapy (100%), teat sealant (85.7%), or dry cow therapy + teat sealant (96.1%) resulted in greater cure rates and lower SCC in quarters infected prepartum with Staphylococcus aureus or coagulase-negative staphylococci. Prevention rates against all new intramammary infections (IMI) were similar for control quarters (95.9%), dry cow therapy (92.2%), teat sealant (97.9%), and dry cow therapy + teat sealant (95.9%). Implications and Applications Although the IMI prevention rates were similar across treatments, the majority of heifers did have at least one quarter infected with Staph. aureus or coagulase-negative staphylococci, which dry cow therapy has been shown to be very effective in curing as well as decreasing future SCC. In problem herds, an udder health program should incorporate treating all quarters with dry cow therapy to cure existing IMI plus teat sealant to prevent new IMI, under supervision of the herd veterinarian.

Efficacy of novel antiseptic product containing essential oil of Lippia origanoides to reduce intramammary infections in cows.

Background and Aim:The use of antimicrobials in the control of mastitis is of concern in public health due to their inefficiency in targeting microorganisms. Studies with medicinal plants have risen as an alternative to the use of conventional products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an experimental disinfectant based on the essential oil (EO) from Lippia origanoides in preventing the development of new intramammary infections (IMI) in Holstein cows.Materials and Methods:The conventional protocol of pre- and post-milking was used and the control (Conventional treatment [CNV]) and experimental (Experimental treatment [PEX]) products containing EO at 120 μL/mL were applied by immersion. Individual milk samples were analyzed using sheep blood agar methodologies and biochemical tests. The efficiency of the treatment was defined by the presence or absence of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus spp.Results:There were no clinical and subclinical mastitis cases, no lesions in the mucosal of teats, nor dirt score between groups in this study. Both treatments did not influence the occurrence of IMI.Conclusion:The results revealed that PEX acts efficiently against microorganisms compared to the disinfection by the conventional product demonstrating the efficacy of the alternative product on the prevention of new IMIs in dairy cows.

Use of Dry Cow Therapy for Control of Mastitis in Dairy Animals

An on-farm study was conducted during different season at farmers field in Samastipur district of Bihar to assess the effect of dry cow therapy as an intervention for control of mastitis in dairy herd. Twenty one crossbred cows were selected at dry-off and distributed in three group with 7 animals each. The experimental treatment groups were T1 (Control- No dry cow therapy), T2: dry cow therapy with Spectramast D C at last day of milking) and group: T3dry cow therapy with Spectramast D C along with application of Intavita H 5ml I/M. Daily milk yield was recorded for 30 days after 15 days of post-partum to find out the effect of dry cow therapy on milk production. The finding of the study showed that dry cow therapy in combination with Intavita H (T3) or alone dry cow therapy were effective protocol to control mastitis with reduced mastitis cases as compared to T1(control). However, dry cow therapy in combination with Intavita H (T3) was more effective against control of mastitis. The milk quantity and quality were also improved with treatment of dry cow therapy.

Readily usable strategies to control mastitis for production augmentation in dairy cattle: A review.

Mastitis in dairy cattle is the most common management disorder that causes higher economic losses by lowering production and quality of milk leads to substantial economical loss. The aim of this article was to review worldwide important advances in strategies to control mastitis for production augmentation in dairy cattle. Many scientists worked to identify effective strategies to control mastitis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and others. It is necessary to identify mechanisms of infection, define clinical and subclinical states of disease, determine exposure time, and identify pathogen-specific characteristics. Evolvement of management strategies that incorporated hygienic procedures (animal, floor, and milkman), post milking standing period of animal and strategic use of antibiotic or herbal therapy at dry-off, nutritional supplementation, fly control, body condition score optimization, etc., resulted in widespread control of mastitis. The udder, teat of animal, scientific management of milking, automatic milking procedure, genetic selection are considered as important factors to control mastitis. As farm management changed, scientists were directed to redefine control of mastitis caused by opportunistic pathogens of environmental sources and have sought to explore management strategies which will maintain animal well-being in a judicial way. Although significant advances in mastitis management have been made changing herd structure, changing climatic scenario and more rigorous milk processing standards ensure that mastitis will remain important issue for future research.

The impact of rural extension on mastitis control in family farms in the Amazon region: a multi-case study. Case report

The impact of rural extension on mastitis control in family farms in the Amazon region: a multi-case study. Case report

Silver(i) complexes with different pyridine-4,5-dicarboxylate ligands as efficient agents for the control of cow mastitis associated pathogens.

Infections of the cow udder leading to mastitis and lower milk quality are one of the biggest problems in the dairy industry worldwide. Unfortunately, therapeutic options for the treatment of cow mastitis are limited as a consequence of the development of pathogens that are resistant to conventionally used antibiotics. In the search for agents that will be active against cow mastitis associated pathogens, in the present study, five new silver(i) complexes with different chelating pyridine-4,5-dicarboxylate types of ligands, [Ag(NO3)(py-2py)]n (1), [Ag(NO3)(py-2metz)]n (2), [Ag(CH3CN)(py-2py)]BF4 (3), [Ag(py-2tz)2]BF4 (4) and [Ag(py-2metz)2]BF4 (5), py-2py is dimethyl 2,2'-bipyridine-4,5-dicarboxylate, py-2metz is dimethyl 2-(4-methylthiazol-2-yl)pyridine-4,5-dicarboxylate and py-2tz is dimethyl 2-(thiazol-2-yl)pyridine-4,5-dicarboxylate, were synthesized, structurally characterized and assessed for in vitro antimicrobial activity using both standard bioassay and clinical isolates from a contaminated milk sample obtained from a cow with mastitis. These complexes showed remarkable activity against the standard panel of microorganisms and a selection of clinical isolates from the milk of the cow diagnosed with mastitis. With the aim of determining the therapeutic potential of silver(i) complexes, their toxicity in vivo against the model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), was investigated. The complexes that had the best therapeutic profile, 2 and 5, induced bacterial membrane depolarization and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Candida albicans cells and inhibited the hyphae as well as the biofilm formation. Taken together, the presented data suggest that the silver(i) complexes with pyridine ligands could be considered for the treatment of microbial pathogens, which are causative agents of cow mastitis.