Postmilking Teat Dip Research Articles

Effect of post-milking teat dip on subclinical mastitis in crossbred cows

Effect of post-milking teat dip on subclinical mastitis in crossbred cows

Management Practices of Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality on Egyptian Dairies.

Milk production continues to be the main source of income for dairy producers, and mastitis continues to be the major health challenge for dairy cows worldwide. The objective of the current study was to describe the different management practices implemented in Egyptian dairies, which may influence mastitis and improve milk quality. An in-person survey was completed with herd managers and owners of 20 Egyptian dairies selected using a stratified random sample from four of Egypt's milk sheds. The questionnaire included 80 questions that inquired about herd demographics, mastitis status and control, milking practices, and management practices of the study dairies. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, multiple factor analysis (MFA), and hierarchical clustering to identify the important principal components and different dairy clusters. Of the surveyed herds, 69.50% had less than 500 lactating cows, with Holstein as the main cow breed. The reported average milk production on the study herds was 31.1 (SE ± 1.10) Kg/cow/day. Housing of lactating, dry, and close-up cows was in open lots. The majority of the dairies milked cows were three times per day (90.63%), the remaining milked cows four (5.00%) or a mix of four and three times per day. Furthermore, herringbone parlor design was the most common parlor design (66.79%) in the study dairies. The most common disinfectants used for both pre- and post-milking teat dip were iodine-based, 90.0% and 95.0%, respectively, while 52.16% of the dairies reported that their milkers wore gloves during milking. The reported mean annual percentage of mastitis was 52.3%, as a percent of the milking herd. The study dairies reported the inspection of udder health through either visual inspection (95.00%), udder hygiene score (86.88%), teat end score (71.88%), and/or using CMT (54.91%). Contagious mastitis pathogens were reported in 45.2% of the study herds. More than 50% of the study herds relied on importing pregnant cows or pregnant heifers as replacements. Multiple factor analysis identified 20 questions and represented 5 components of variability related to mastitis on dairies. The current survey of Egyptian dairies described the herd demographics and different management practices related to mastitis control and prevention. All the study dairies relied on the blanket intramammary antimicrobial drugs at dry off when current research elsewhere has identified selective dry cow therapy as an integral component of antimicrobial stewardship on dairies. Further research is required to identify the association between different management factors and the occurrence of mastitis.

Randomized noninferiority field trial evaluating a postmilking teat dip for the prevention of naturally occurring intramammary infections

The aim of this study was to perform a positive-controlled field study under natural exposure conditions to test the efficacy of a newly developed chlorine dioxide-based postmilking teat disinfectant (experimental product, EX) for noninferiority compared with an already established chlorine dioxide-based teat disinfectant (positive control product, PC). After blocking by parity, approximately 200 Holstein cows in early to mid-lactation stages from a dairy farm near Padua, Italy, were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups. Over a 13-wk period between September and December 2021, the teats of cows were dipped with the EX or the PC after each milking. Milk samples were collected from individual quarters of enrolled cows for 13 wk to determine infection status. Teat condition was assessed at wk 1, 5, and 9. Mixed logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of treatment on the incidence of new intramammary infections. For the noninferiority analysis, the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the difference in new intramammary infection (NIMI) rate between the 2 treatments (EX - PC) had to be to the left of the critical value d (0.035) to conclude that EX was noninferior to PC in terms of the risk of NIMI. The results showed that the incidence of new infections in the quarters treated with EX (3.1%) was not different from that in the udder quarters treated with PC (2.6%). No overall difference was found between the treatments in terms of teat condition. As the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of the NIMI rate difference was smaller than the predefined noninferiority limit, we concluded that the EX was noninferior compared with the PC.

Antibacterial efficacy of essential oil spray formulation for post-milking disinfection in dairy cows.

Mastitis is an essential issue in dairy cows. Post-milking teat dips can help reduce this problem, but they employ harsh disinfectants, and many bacteria are becoming increasingly tolerant. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of clove, citronella, and sweet basil essential oils against the common bovine mastitis causative agents Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Escherichia coli and to develop an antiseptic post-milking teat spray for use in dairy cows. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was determined by broth microdilution and time-kill assays. Essential oil-based post-milking teat sprays were developed. The bacterial eradication efficacy of the formulations was determined by time-kill assays and their stability was tested by repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The most effective formulation was tested in dairy cows. The minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations of the tested essential oils against S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and E. coli were in the range of 0.78-6.25 μL/mL. The time-kill tests indicated that the essential oils' antibacterial activity depended on concentration and contact time. All three essential oil-based post-milking teat spray preparations showed good stability. The citronella spray formulation showed the highest antibacterial potency. In in vivo testing, the citronella spray eradicated aerobic bacteria on the teat skin of cows (99.9% or 3-log10 reduction) within 1 min, which was non-inferior to a standard 0.54% iodine solution teat dip. Clove, citronella, and sweet basil essential oils were effective against S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and E. coli in vitro. Of these, citronella essential oil is the most promising to be developed as a post-milking teat spray with high antibacterial activity and excellent bacterial eradication properties in vivo.

Effectiveness of Intramammary Antibiotics, Internal Teat Sealants, or Both at Dry-Off in Dairy Cows: Milk Production and Somatic Cell Count Outcomes.

Simple SummaryA block randomized trial was conducted in California dairies to evaluate the effect of different treatments at dry-off on the subsequent lactation’s milk production and somatic cell count (SCC). Greater milk production was observed in cows treated with antibiotics and teat sealants at dry-off in comparison to controls, while there was no significant difference in the milk produced by cows that received either antibiotic or teat sealant in comparison to the untreated cows. Different dry cow treatments were associated with a reduction in ln SCC during the first 150 DIM, with the greatest reduction associated with both antibiotic and teat sealant in comparison to controls. Dairies with high SCC may benefit from treating cows at dry-off with AB, TS, or both.Mastitis is the greatest disease challenge for dairy producers, with substantial economic impacts due to lost milk production. Amongst the approaches implemented to control and prevent mastitis on dairies are vaccination, pre- and post-milking teat dips, and treatments at dry-off including intramammary antibiotics and teat sealants. The objectives of our study were to evaluate the effect of different treatments at dry-off on the subsequent lactation’s milk production and somatic cell count (SCC). A single-blinded controlled block randomized clinical trial was conducted between December 2016 and August 2018 on eight herds from four of the top ten milk-producing counties in California: Tulare, Kings, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin. The trial was repeated with cows enrolled during the winter and summer seasons to account for seasonal variability. Eligible cows were treated at dry-off with either intramammary antibiotics (AB), internal teat sealant (TS), AB + TS, or did not receive any treatment (control), and were followed through 150 days in milk (DIM) post-calving. The milk production and SCC data were extracted from monthly test day milk records (Dairy Comp 305, Valley Ag Software, Tulare, CA, USA). Two-piece spline linear mixed models were used to model the milk production (kg) and natural logarithm-transformed SCC. After accounting for parity, breed, season, and dry period duration, the milk model showed a significant increase in milk production (1.84 kg/day) in cows treated with AB + TS at dry-off in comparison to controls. There was no significant difference in the milk produced by cows that received either AB or TS (0.12 kg/day, and 0.67 kg/day, respectively) in comparison to the untreated cows. Different dry cow treatments were associated with a significant reduction in ln SCC during the first 150 DIM. The greatest reduction was associated with using AB + TS, followed by AB, and finally TS in comparison to controls. Dairies with high SCC may benefit from treating cows at dry-off with AB, TS, or both.

Evaluation of a povidone-iodine and chitosan-based barrier teat dip in the prevention of mastitis in dairy cows

Postmilking teat dip is an important tool used to prevent mastitis in the modern dairy industry. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo efficacies of a barrier teat dip containing povidone-iodine and chitosan for the prevention of mastitis. In experiment 1, we evaluated the antibacterial effects of chitosans with different molecular weights against six mastitis-causing bacteria based on the minimal inhibitory concentration test. The results showed that 50 kDa chitosan had the maximum antibacterial activity compared with 5, 150 and 350 kDa chitosans. In experiment 2, the inhibition zone test indicated that the barrier teat dip with 4.0% povidone-iodine and 1.0% chitosan had higher (P<0.05) in vitro antibacterial efficacy against most tested mastitis-causing bacteria than the barrier teat dip with 4.0% povidone-iodine and no chitosan. In experiments 3 and 4, we evaluated the efficacies of two postmilking teat dips, 1) a barrier teat dip containing 1.0% chitosan and 4.0% povidone-iodine and 2) a conventional nonbarrier product containing 10% povidone-iodine in a field trial at two commercial dairy herds (1 and 2). A 56-d split-udder experiment (experiment 3) was conducted using 47 lactating Chinese Holstein cows in herd 1. Both left teats were immersed in barrier postmilking dip, and both right teats were dipped with nonbarrier postmilking dip. During a 56-d split-herd experiment (experiment 4), a total of 139 lactating Chinese Holstein cows from herd 2 were allocated to two groups: 1) all teats of 67 cows were dipped in the nonbarrier teat dip, and 2) all teats of 72 cows were dipped in the barrier teat dip. Milk samples were collected and analyzed for somatic cell count (SCC), fat content, protein content, and fat-to-protein ratio prior to the start of sampling (0 d), and at 28 and 56 d after initiation. Bacteriological analysis was only performed on milk samples with SCC≥200 000 cells mL−1. In experiment 3, no differences (P>0.05) in SCC, somatic cell score (SCS) or other milk quality indicators were observed between nonbarrier and barrier teat dip treatment teats throughout the experiment. At the end of experiment 4, compared with nonbarrier teat dip group, a reduction (P<0.05) of 29% was observed for subclinical mastitis infection prevalence in the barrier teat dip group. In the barrier teat dip group, the subclinical mastitis infection prevalence on 56 d was lower (P<0.05) than 0 d. No differences (P>0.05) in milk qualities or clinical mastitis incidence were detected between groups. Bacteriological analysis demonstrated that the barrier product containing povidone-iodine and chitosan reduced the subclinical mastitis infection prevalence induced by mastitis pathogens. This effect was mainly due to the reductions in Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia fergusonii infections. Overall, the data indicated that a barrier teat dip containing 4% povidone-iodine and 1% chitosan was more effective than 10% povidone-iodine in preventing subclinical mastitis.

Assessment of milking hygiene awareness and practices among the dairy farmers in Baghabarighat milk shed areas of Bangladesh

Background: Many milk-borne epidemics of human diseases have been reported due to contamination of milk by dairy workers’ spoiled hands, unsanitary utensils, flies and polluted water supplies. In addition, most milk-borne zoonoses are mostly acquired through consumption of infected milk and milk products. Information on milking hygiene practices and knowledge of farmers’ remains scarce in Bangladesh. We aimed to evaluate the milk hygiene awareness and practices among the dairy farmers in Baghabarighat milk shed areas of Sirajgonj and Pabna district in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out including 270 randomly selected small holder dairy farmers during October 2018 to March 2019. Data on milk hygiene practices and general handling of milk were collected by face to face interview and direct observation using a questionnaire. Results: We observed that all respondents practiced manual milking with a frequency of twice per day. About 60% respondents did not wash their hands before milking and others wash their hands only with water. Mostly tube well water was used for washing utensils. About 67.0% respondents didn’t wash udder before milking and all of them used oil as lubricant. Around 67% and 33.3% dairy farmers had access to pipe water and tube well water supply to their barn, respectively. None of the farmers practiced post milking teat dipping and used towel for wiping udder after washing. Most of the farmers (97%) provided feed to animal before, during and after milking. None of the farmers stored milk in cool room and 78.2% farmers delivered milk within 1-2 hours to milk collector. About 89% respondents delivered drug treated milk to collector. Conclusion: The hygienic practices are far below standard level among the dairy farmers in the study areas. Thus, there are risk of bovine mastitis and milk-borne zoonoses by consuming contaminated milk. Farmers’ education on milking hygiene practices and handling of milk to create awareness is needed.

Effect of novel teat dips on milk biochemical parameters in dairy cattle

The study was conducted on bovine mastitis with an objective to prevent its occurrence. The attempt was envisaged through use of copper sulphate and zinc sulphate, used as post milking teat dips and were selected after evaluating their antimicrobial potential against major mastitis causing bacteria in vitro using agar well diffusion method. Different concentrations of these compounds in distilled water were prepared (10%, 7.5%, 5% and 2.5%). Invitro cytotoxicity studies were also carried out using these concentrations. The invitro antimicrobial and cytotoxicity studies revealed 2.5% solution of copper sulphate and zinc sulphate to be most effective in terms of preventing bacterial growth and being safe. For the prophylactic study 40 healthy cows, maintained under similar management and found negative for mastitis through CMT, pH, EC, SCC and culture of milk samples were included in the study. Cows were randomly divided into 4 groups, viz., group I, group II, group III and group IV with ten cows in each. Group I, served as control, in which no teat dip was used. In group II animals conventional teat dip (0.5% Povidone Iodine) was used. In group III and group IV Copper Sulphate (2.5% aqueous solution) and Zinc Sulphate (2.5% aqueous solution) teat dips were used respectively. Post-milking teat dipping was done twice a day for a period of two months. Milk samples were collected aseptically from all the quarters on Day 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 to see the effect of post-milking teat dipping with copper sulphate and zinc sulphate on biochemical properties of milk (Fat, SNF, Protein and lactose)and compare them with povidone iodine and control groups. The biochemical properties of milk did not change using copper sulphate and zinc sulphateas post milking teat dips. It is concluded that the use of 2.5% each of copper sulphate and zinc sulphate solutions as post-milking teat dips can prove beneficial in prophylaxis of bovine mastitis.

Epidemiology of Mastitis in Dairy Cattle with Special Reference to Some Associated Risk Factors

Mastitis is one of the most important health problems of dairy cattle as it causes physical, chemical and bacteriological changes in the produced milk, so the aim of this study is investigating the epidemiology of mastitis pathogens of dairy cattle and their associated risk factors. A total of 397 samples were gathered from mastitic cows and their surrounding environment including 127 milk samples from sub-clinically mastitic cows, 60 milk samples from clinically mastitic cows, 60 teat swabs, 50 milking machines swabs, 50 worker’s hand swabs and 50 bedding samples from different farms containing small and large dairy herds located in El Dakhalia and Menoufiya Governorate. These samples were examined bacteriologically and biochemically for isolation and biochemical identification of E. coli and S. aureus. Our results revealed that the prevalence of E.coli was 33.33% (11/33), 21.74% (20/92), 16.67% (4/24), 18.52% (5/27), 13.33% (2/15) and 13.33% (4/30) in milk samples from clinically mastitic cows, milk samples from subclinically mastitic cows, teat swabs, milking machines swabs, worker’s hand swabs and bedding samples, respectively, while the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus was 23.08% (9/39), 17.43% (19/109), 11.9% (5/42), 10.53% (4/38), 17.07% (7/41) and 10.53% (4/38), in the same groups respectively. A significant relationship was found between of the number of these bacteria and cows age, herd size and hygienic condition of the farm. Moreover, PCR was done on 14 isolates of E. coli for detection of ESBL producing E. coli. The results of PCR revealed that the prevalence of blaTEM and blaSHV was 64.3% (9/14) and 92.9% (13/14), respectively, while none of the isolates carried blaCMY-2. We concluded that Staphylococcus aureus and E.coli are considered two main pathogens of mastitis and the prevalence of mastitis increases in old cattle, inadequate hygienic condition, lack of post milking teat dipping and absence of udder washing which are all predisposing risk factors of mastitis in the study area.

Description of two Serratia marcescens associated mastitis outbreaks in Finnish dairy farms and a review of literature

BackgroundInfection with Serratia spp. have been associated with mastitis outbreaks in dairy cattle herds. Environmental contamination or a point source, like a teat dip product, have often been observed to be potential sources of such outbreaks. We describe two Serratia marcescens associated mastitis outbreaks associated with a contaminated teat dip containing a tertiary alkyl amine, n,n-bis (3-aminopropyl) dodecylamine in two dairy cattle farms in Finland. S. marcescens strains isolated from milk and environmental samples were identified by the MALDI-TOF method.ResultsSix specimens (n = 19) on Herd 1 and all specimens (n = 9) on Herd 2 were positive for S. marcescens. Positive specimens were from mastitis milk and teat dip liquid and equipment. Bacteria were not isolated from the unopened teat dip canister. The same clone of S. marcescens was isolated from milk samples and teat dip samples within the farms. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis results to the S. marcescens isolates from these two different herds were tested with unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic average clustering analysis. The isolates were not same clone in both herds, because similarity in that test was only 75% when cut-off value to similarity is 85%.ConclusionsOur investigation showed that the post milking teat dip and/or temporary containers were contaminated with S. marcescens and these were most likely the sources for new mastitis cases. The negative result from the unopened teat dip canister and positive results from refillable containers demonstrated that the product itself was not contaminated with S. marcescens at the production unit, but became contaminated at the farm level.

The Effect of TEAT PROTECT spray and potassium permanganate teat dip in curing subclinical mastitis in crossbred cows of Villupuram district of Tamilnadu

A study was undertaken to assess the incidence of subclinical mastitis in crossbred cows of Villupuram district by using direct microscopic Somatic cell count (SCC). For this purpose sixty eight crossbred cows positive for subclinical mastitis (SCM) as per IDF (International Dairy Federation) criteria were randomly allotted in to two treatment groups. The cows in T1 group were subjected to post milking teat dip with one per cent Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution immediately after milking. The cows in T2 group were sprayed with TEAT PROTECT sprays. Sixteen healthy cows were kept as control group and udder was washed with plain water. The treatments were carried out for 30 days. Udder health status was determined by recording the parameters viz. somatic cell count (SCC), average daily milk yield, udder colony count and teat colony count. The results revealed that TEAT PROTECT spray is superior to Potassium permanganate in curing SCM of crossbred cows.

Evaluation of powdered 0.5% chlorhexidine acetate-based postmilking teat dip compared with a foamed 1% iodine-based postmilking teat dip under cold weather conditions in northern New York

The objective of this trial was to compare a powdered 0.5% chlorhexidine acetate-based postmilking teat dip with a foamed 1% iodine-based postmilk teat dip during winter on clinical mastitis, subclinical mastitis (somatic cell count ≥200,000 cells/mL), linear score, teat skin condition, teat end score for hyperkeratosis, and risk of developing a new intramammary infection (IMI). Holstein cows (n = 331) housed in freestall and tiestall barns on one farm were blocked by pen, parity, lactation stage, and lactation performance. They were assigned randomly to a powdered chlorhexidine postmilking teat dip (PD; Derma Soft n' Dry, IBA Inc., Millbury, MA) or a foamed iodine-based postmilking teat dip (ID; FS-103, IBA Inc.). Treatments were applied for 6 wk starting January 4, 2016, for 3 milkings per day. Milk samples were collected from each quarter at the beginning and end of the trial and analyzed for aerobic culture and somatic cell count. Cows that had a clinical mastitis event during the trial were quarter sampled for aerobic culture at the time of clinical event. Teat skin condition and teat end score for hyperkeratosis were evaluated at the beginning, middle, and end of the trial based on a 3- and 5-point scale, respectively. No treatment difference was observed for linear score or teat skin condition. Teat end score was greater for ID cows compared with PD cows (2.72 vs. 2.77) at the conclusion of the trial. At the beginning of trial 102 PD quarters and 129 ID quarters had an IMI identified on aerobic culture, 402 PD and 457 ID quarters cultured negative, and 109 PD and 125 ID samples were classified as "no significant growth." At the conclusion of the trial, 129 PD and 101 ID quarters had an IMI. Use of PD resulted in a greater risk for developing a new IMI, based on bacteriological culture, at the conclusion of the trial as compared with ID (relative risk = 1.51; confidence interval: 1.10-2.07). Additionally, use of PD resulted in a greater risk as compared with ID of coagulase-negative staphylococci (relative risk = 1.5; confidence interval: 1.10-2.25) and Staphylococccus aureus (relative risk = 2.30; confidence interval: 1.04-5.07) to be present at the conclusion of the trial. In conclusion, use of PD led to a lower teat end score, an increase in new IMI, and an increased risk of coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staph. aureus compared with ID after 6 wk of product use.

Extensive countrywide field investigation of subclinical mastitis in sheep in Greece

The objectives of this work were (1) to investigate prevalence of subclinical mastitis, (2) to identify etiological agents involved, and (3) to study factors potentially predisposing ewes to subclinical mastitis. Milk samples were collected from 2,198 ewes in 111 farms with a total population of 35,925 ewes, in all 13 administrative regions of Greece, for bacteriological and cytological examination. Prevalence of subclinical mastitis was 0.260. Main etiological agents were staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative species), which accounted for 0.699 of all isolates recovered; prevalence of staphylococcal mastitis was 0.191. In a multivariable mixed-effects analysis, the primary factor found to be associated with increased prevalence of subclinical mastitis was the management system practiced in flocks (flocks under a semi-intensive system had the highest prevalence). Other factors that were included in the multivariable model were the stage of lactation period (ewes in the 2nd month postpartum showed the highest prevalence) and application of postmilking teat dipping. In contrast, measures taken at the end of a lactation period (e.g., intramammary administration of antimicrobial agents) were not found to have an effect on prevalence of subclinical mastitis. The results confirmed the significance of subclinical mastitis as a frequent problem of ewes, with staphylococci as the primary etiological agent. The findings confirm the multifactorial nature of subclinical mastitis and indicate that its control should rely on many approaches.

A 100-Year Review: Mastitis detection, management, and prevention

Mastitis is the most frequent disease of dairy cows and has well-recognized detrimental effects on animal wellbeing and dairy farm profitability. Since the beginning of modern dairy farming, producers have sought effective methods to minimize the occurrence of mastitis in their herds. The objective of this paper is to review and highlight important advances in detection, management, and prevention of mastitis that have occurred since the first volume of the Journal of Dairy Science was published in 1917. Initial research efforts were directed at understanding the nature of pathogenic bacteria that were responsible for most intramammary infections. For decades, researchers worked to identify effective strategies to control mastitis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus. To develop successful control programs, mastitis workers first had to identify mechanisms of infection, define the clinical and subclinical states of the disease, discover appropriate screening tests, determine likely points of exposure, identify pathogen-specific characteristics, and develop effective procedures for machine milking. Pioneering researchers eventually recognized that mastitis control was based on preventing new infections from occurring in healthy cows and reducing the duration that cows remained infected. Development of a control program that incorporated post-milking teat dipping, hygienic milking procedures, and strategic use of antibiotic therapy at dry-off resulted in widespread control of contagious pathogens. As herd management changed, researchers were tasked with defining control of mastitis caused by opportunistic pathogens originating from environmental sources. As mastitis pathogens have evolved, researchers have sought to define antimicrobial usage that will maintain animal wellbeing while minimizing unnecessary usage. During the last century, tremendous significant advances in mastitis control have been made but changing herd structure and more rigorous processor standards ensure that mastitis will remain an important subject focus of future research.

Identification of factors influencing teat dip efficacy trial results by meta-analysis.

Two meta-analyses were conducted using data from peer-reviewed natural exposure (NE) and experimental challenge (EC) teat dip efficacy trials to identify factors influencing the new intramammary infection (IMI) rate. A NE data set containing 16 studies and an EC data set containing 21 studies were created. New IMI rate was calculated based on the percentage of new quarter infections per month (PNQI/mo) for each observation, in both data sets, and used as the dependent variable for model derivation. A linear, mixed-effects model with a random study effect, weighted by number of quarters eligible for infection, was derived for each data set. The final NE model included the effects of experimental design (split herd or split udder), mastitis pathogen group (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, environmental streptococci, gram-negative species, Corynebacterium spp., or coagulase-negative staphylococci), postmilking treatment (iodine, chlorhexidine, linear dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, chlorine compounds, phenol compounds, or undipped negative controls), and the interaction between mastitis pathogen group and postmilking treatment. Overall, Corynebacterium spp. had the highest new IMI rate (0.0139±0.0018 PNQI/mo), and environmental streptococci and gram-negative species had the lowest (0.0023±0.0022 PNQI/mo). Additionally, trials utilizing a split herd experimental design had a 2-fold higher new IMI rate than trials using a split udder design. The final EC model included the effects of mastitis pathogen (Staph. aureus and Strep. agalactiae), postmilking treatment (iodine, chlorine compounds, "other" active ingredients, or undipped negative controls), geographic region of study (Eastern, Southern, and Pacific Northwest), and the 2-way interactions of region and pathogen group and postmilking treatment and pathogen group. Overall, Staph. aureus and Strep. agalactiae had similar new IMI rates. Quarters dipped postmilking in either iodine (0.0127±0.0099 PNQI/mo), chlorine compounds (0.0258±0.0095 PNQI/mo), or "other" active ingredient teat dips (0.0263±0.0106 PNQI/mo) had lower new IMI rates than undipped quarters (0.0859±0.0087 PNQI/mo). These results indicate that experimental design influences the new IMI rate of teat dip efficacy trials and that using an effective postmilking teat dip has a greater effect on controlling the new Staph. aureus and Strep. agalactiae IMI rate than the teat dip's active ingredient.

Jumlah bakteri Staphylococcus aureus dan skor California Mastitis Test (CMT) pada susu kambing Peranakan Etawa akibat dipping ekstrak daun Babadotan (Ageratum conyzoides L.)

The aim of this research is to determine the effect of teat dipping of Ettawa crossbred goat using babadotan leaves (Ageratum conyzoides Linn.) extract on the number of Staphylococcus aureus in milk . The udder inflammation degree also was determined using California Mastitis Test (CMT). The treatments were post milking teat dipping using antiseptic solutions containing 1%, 3%, and 5% of babadotan leaves extract (T1, T2 and T3, respectively). Milk samples were collected at before treatment (H0) and on the day 3, 6 and 9 day of the treatments (H3, H6 and H9, respectively). Commercially antiseptic povidone iodine was used as positive control (K+). Experimental research design was completely randomized design (CRD) split plot types, with the different extract concentration as the main plot and the day of treatment as subplot. CMT scores was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test. The results showed that babadotan leaves extract 5% had the same effectiveness (p>0,05) with povidone iodine to reduce the number of Staphylococcus aureus in milk. All extract concentrations (1%, 3% and 5%) had the same effectiveness (H>c0,05 (3) ) to decrease the CMT scores by postmilking teat dip treatments for 9 days. Keywords: Teat dipping, Ageratum conyzoides (L)., Staphylococcus aureus, CMT score

Management practices associated with presence of Staphylococcus aureus in bulk tank milk from Ohio dairy herds

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common contagious mastitis pathogen affecting cows worldwide. Practices to control this organism have been advocated for decades, and identification of risk factors in individual herds is crucial in prevention and control of Staph. aureus. The objectives of this paper were to estimate prevalence of Staph. aureus in Ohio dairies and to determine a potential association of herd characteristics and management practices with isolation of Staph. aureus in bulk tank milk. A questionnaire about herd characteristics, milking procedures, udder health, mastitis control, and biosecurity practices was mailed to 780 dairy producers; the response rate for the survey was 49%. Staphylococcus aureus prevalence was 48, 64, and 69% when 1, 2, or 3 samples of bulk tank milk from each herd were considered, respectively. Herds practicing prestrip, pre- and postmilking teat dip, and using a single towel per cow as part of the milking routine as well as herds where owners were involved in milking were at significantly reduced odds for detection of Staph. aureus in their bulk tank milk.

Herd- and cow-level risk factors associated with subclinical mastitis in dairy farms from the High Plains of the northern Antioquia, Colombia

Mastitis is the main disease entity affecting dairy farms in the Colombian High Plains of northern Antioquia, Colombia. However, no previous epidemiologic studies have determined the characteristics that increase the risk of infection in this region, where manual milking is still the prevailing system of milking. A 24-mo longitudinal study was designed to identify the predominant mastitis pathogens and important herd- and cow-level risk factors. Monthly visits were made to 37 commercial dairy farms to collect herd- and cow-level data and milk samples. Herd size varied from 6 to 136 cows (mean 37.0, median 29). Herd-level factors included type of milking system (manual or mechanical) and a range of management practices recommended by the National Mastitis Council (Madison, WI) to prevent mastitis. Individual cow-level risk factors included parity, stage of lactation, breed, udder hygiene, and lameness. A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate associations between herd- and cow-level risk factors with the presence of subclinical mastitis and infection caused by Streptococcus agalactiae at the quarter level. A quarter was considered to have subclinical mastitis if it had a positive California Mastitis Test and was subsequently confirmed to have a somatic cell count of ≥200,000 cells/mL. Any cow with one or more quarters with subclinical mastitis was considered to have subclinical mastitis at the cow level. Using 17,622 cow observations, the mean prevalence of subclinical mastitis at the cow level was 37.2% (95% confidence interval: 31.2, 43.3) for the first month and did not substantially change throughout the study. The predominant microorganisms isolated from quarters meeting the subclinical mastitis definition were contagious pathogens, including Strep. agalactiae (34.4%), Corynebacterium spp. (13.2%), and Staphylococcus aureus (8.0%). Significant variables associated with subclinical mastitis risk at the quarter level included being a purebred Holstein cow, higher parity, and increased months in milk. Variables that were protective for mastitis risk included being a crossbreed cow and adequate premilking udder hygiene. Significant variables associated with Strep. agalactiae infection were higher parity, increased months in milk, and manual milking. Variables that were protective were postmilking teat dipping and adequate cleaning of the udder. The results highlight the importance of hygiene practices in contagious mastitis control in manually milked herds.

Desarrollo de un Sellador Post-Ordeño con Goma Espina Corona

To prevent infection by mastitis in cattle, it is advisable to use post milking teat dip. The objective of this study was to develop a post milking antiseptic sealant with physicochemical stability, to avoid product losses by leakage. The sealant was formulated with the espina corona gum, which increases the viscosity of the product. A central composite rotatable design was applied to obtain the optimal formulation. The apparent viscosity was evaluated as the response variable with a Brookfield DVII + LV2. The optimal formula was determined as: espina corona gum (1.7%), dematerialized water (88.60%), glycerin (4.70%), iodine solution and surfactant (3.00%) and buffer solution pH = 50.3 (2.00%). The sealant showed a rheological behavior of the pseudoplastic type. It is concluded that the espina corona gum is suitable to formulate a post milking sealant with acceptable physicochemical stability and that also keeps its active principle as a bactericide.

Intramammary infections and teat canal colonization with coagulase-negative staphylococci after postmilking teat disinfection: Species-specific responses

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are the most common pathogens associated with intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cows. We hypothesized that postmilking teat disinfection would reduce microbial colonization of the teat canal and thus reduce the prevalence of IMI caused by certain CNS species. The efficacy of iodine postmilking teat dip was tested against CNS colonization of the teat canal, and incidence of IMI was measured. Using an udder-half model, 43 Holstein cows at the Washington State University Dairy were enrolled in the trial; postmilking teat dip was applied to one udder-half, treatment (TX), and the remaining half was an undipped control (CX). Teat canal swabbing and mammary quarter milk samples were taken in duplicate once a week for 16 wk for microbial culture. Isolates from agar cultures were presumptively identified as CNS and then speciated using PCR-RFLP and agarose gel electrophoresis. Colonization of the teat canal and IMI by CNS were assessed. Thirty CNS IMI were diagnosed and the number of new IMI in CX quarters (21) was significantly greater than that in TX mammary quarters (9). The majority of CNS IMI were caused by Staphylococcus chromogenes (30%) and Staphylococcus xylosus (40%), and the latter were appreciably reduced by teat dip. Except for S. xylosus, an association was observed between teat canal colonization and IMI by all CNS species in this study, in which the majority of IMI were preceded by teat canal colonization. The total number of CNS IMI was greater for CX group cows compared with TX group cows. However, the effect of disinfection on IMI did not appear to be the same for all CNS species.