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Case-control study of risk factors for clinical mastitis in postpartum dairy heifers.

A case-control study was carried out to evaluate risk factors for clinical mastitis occurring in dairy heifers between 1 and 14 d postpartum. Case and control heifers were matched on herd; the control was the heifer that calved closest in time, before or after, the particular case. Data were analyzed by conditional logistic regression. The final multivariate model included 339 case-control pairs. Blood in the milk, udder edema, teat edema, and milk leakage, all recorded at the time of parturition, were significant risk factors. Purchased heifers and heifers with skin lesions between udder and thigh were not at increased risk of clinical mastitis. Separate analysis of a subgroup of case-control pairs identified teat edema, blood in the milk, and milk leakage at calving as risk factors for clinical mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Animals↗

Analysis of an outbreak of Streptococcus uberis mastitis.

An outbreak of Streptococcus uberis mastitis was described to gain insight into the dynamics of Strep. uberis infections at a herd level. Data were obtained from a longitudinal observational study on a commercial Dutch dairy farm with good udder health management. Quarter milk samples for bacteriological culture were routinely collected at 3-wk intervals from all lactating animals (n = 95 +/- 5). Additional samples were collected at calving, clinical mastitis, dry-off, and culling. During the 78-wk observation period, 54 Strep. uberis infections were observed. The majority of infections occurred during a 21-wk period that constituted the disease outbreak. The incidence rate was higher in quarters that had recovered from prior Strep. uberis infection than in quarters that had not experienced Strep. uberis infection before. The incidence rate of Strep. uberis infection did not differ between quarters that were infected with other pathogens compared with quarters that were not infected with other pathogens. The expected number of new Strep. uberis infections per 3-wk interval was described by means of a Poisson logistic regression model. Significant predictor variables in the model were the number of existing Strep. uberis infections in the preceding time interval (shedders), phase of the study (early phase vs. postoutbreak phase), and prior infection status of quarters with respect to Strep. uberis, but not infection status with respect to other pathogens. Results suggest that contagious transmission may have played a role in this outbreak of Strep. uberis mastitis.

Animals↗

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns for environmental streptococci isolated from bovine mastitis in central California dairies.

Environmental streptococci are frequently isolated from bovine mastitis in dairy cows with only limited information available on the antimicrobial susceptibility of these organisms. A total of 362 environmental streptococci isolated from cases of bovine mastitis from the central San Joaquin Valley of California over a 3-yr period were used in the study. Overall, 39.9% of the strains tested were Streptococcus uberis, 42.2% were Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and 11.1% were Enterococcus spp. The antimicrobial susceptibility for these organisms was determined for the following antimicrobial agents: penicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, ceftiofur, penicillin + novobiocin, erythromycin, pirlimycin, tetracycline, and sulfadimethoxine. Results demonstrate substantial differences in the susceptibility patterns for the various organisms collectively referred to as the environmental streptococci. The MIC90 for penicillin was 0.06 microg/ml for 152 strains of S. dysgalactiae compared with 0.25 microg/ml for 133 strains of S. uberis. However, the Enterococcus spp. were the most resistant organisms tested. These data also indicate that the use of interpretive criteria based on human data may provide misleading results. In conclusion, these data confirm that the environmental streptococci are a diverse group of organisms comprised of several different genera and species and that identification of environmental streptococci to the species level is needed to appropriately modify control methods. Moreover, the use of the agar disk diffusion (Kirby-Bauer) susceptibility test for agents with human-based interpretive criteria is contraindicated, and these tests should only be performed with agents with mastitis specific interpretive criteria.

Animals↗

Efficacy of two acidified chlorite postmilking teat disinfectants with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid on prevention of contagious mastitis using an experimental challenge protocol.

Two acidified sodium chlorite postmilking teat disinfectants were evaluated for efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae by using National Mastitis Council experimental challenge procedures. The effect of these teat dips on teat skin and teat end condition was also determined. Both dips contained 0.32% sodium chlorite, 1.32% lactic, and 2.5% glycerin. Dips differed in the amount of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (0.53 or 0.27%) added as a surfactant. Both dips significantly reduced new intramammary infection (IMI) rates compared with undipped controls. The dip containing 0.53% dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid reduced new IMI by Staph. aureus by 72% and Strep. agalactiae by 75%. The dip containing 0.27% dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid reduced new IMI by Staph. aureus by 100% and by Strep. agalactiae by 88%. Changes in teat skin and teat end condition for treatment and control groups varied in parallel over time. Teats treated with either teat dip had higher mean teat skin and teat end scores than control teats at some weeks. However, teat skin and teat end condition did not tend to change from the start to the completion of the trial. Application of the two new postmilking teat dips was effective in reducing new IMI from contagious mastitis pathogens. (Key words: teat dip, contagious mastitis, chlorous acid)

Animals↗

Farmers' choice of medical treatment of mastitis in Danish dairy herds based on qualitative research interviews.

A qualitative research study was conducted to describe and analyze farmers' perspectives on their own choices regarding decisions to have cows treated for mastitis. Through qualitative research interviews of 16 Danish dairy farmers, four levels of the decision-making process used by farmers to decide whether or not to treat a cow with antibiotics were identified. Those levels were: 1) symptom level (seriousness of the mastitis case), 2) cow level (to the extent a cow fulfilled goals of the farmer and the herd), 3) herd level (the situation of the herd, e.g., in relation to milk quota), and 4) level of alternatives (whether the farmer regards such practices as blinding of teats or homoeopathy as serious alternatives to antibiotic treatment). All four levels could be recognized in all herds, but with differing weights and relative importance across herds. Directions of different possibilities within each level also varied among farmers. By identifying those four levels, a model for understanding the farmers' choices is provided. This provides background for dialogue with each farmer about choices in the context of each specific herd. It also provides insight into implications of mastitis treatments for effective treatment versus issues of antibiotic resistance when discussing choices on a more general level. Communication and understanding between farmers and their veterinarians and cattle-oriented advisors is essential. Farmers were shown to be coherent in their choices of treatment, but their decisions often seemed to differ from normal veterinary recommendations. Such differences have to be understood and implemented into effective decisions for the whole farm.

Animals↗

Associations between pathogen-specific cases of clinical mastitis and somatic cell count patterns.

Associations were estimated between pathogen-specific cases of clinical mastitis (CM) and somatic cell count (SCC) patterns based on deviations from the typical curve for SCC during lactation and compared with associations between pathogen-specific CM and lactation average SCC. Data from 274 Dutch herds recording CM over an 18-mo period were used. Pathogens found were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, streptococci other than Strep. dysgalactiae and Strep. uberis, and culture-negative samples. The dataset contained 245,595 test-day records on SCC, recorded in 24,012 lactations of 19,733 cows of different parities. Pattern definitions were based on three or five consecutive test-day records. The patterns differentiated between a short or longer period of increased SCC and also between lactations with and without recovery. Logistic regression was applied to identify associations between presence of patterns and occurrence of pathogens. Occurrence of overall CM in a lactation is equally or even more accurately predicted by the presence of SCC in that lactation, than by a lactation average SCC of more than 200,000 cells/mL. Patterns can also distinguish between chances of risk for specific mastitis-causing pathogens. Clinical E. coli mastitis was significantly associated with the presence of a short peak in SCC, whereas Staph. aureus was associated with long increased SCC. Streptococcus dysgalactiae was not strongly associated with any of the defined patterns of peaks in SCC, and no single unambiguous pattern was found for Strep. uberis.

Analysis of Variance↗

Viability of milk neutrophils and severity of bovine coliform mastitis.

To study the host-pathogen interactions during Escherichia coli mastitis, we first determined whether E. coli infection would change blood and milk polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) chemiluminescence (CL) and viability. We then hypothesized that when E. coli invade the mammary gland, the viable PMN in milk would efficiently phagocytose and destroy E. coli before establishment of infection. We observed that the phagocytosis-dependent and independent CL were closely linked to PMN viability and were crucial to the outcome of mastitis. Maximal PMN influx and colony-forming units in infected quarters appeared at postinfection hours (PIH) 6 to 24. This further boosted PMN recruitment through bone marrow-blood barrier as well as blood-milk barrier. The survival of recruited PMN in the E. coli-infected quarters was much higher than that of noninfected quarters. Chemiluminescence activity of PMN from the infected quarters significantly increased following E. coli infection, even exceeding that of blood at PIH 6, 12, and 18 to 24; no such increase was observed in noninfected quarters, suggesting that the various responses of milk PMN to stimuli resulted largely from PMN viability. The highest CL intensity and durability was observed in milk PMN from infected quarters at PIH 12. Whereas an increased viability of PMN in the noninfected quarters was only significant at PIH 6, the viability of PMN in infected quarters was long lasting and significantly higher at PIH 6 to 72. Importantly, higher preinfection milk PMN viability correlated with bacterial clearance, which was accompanied by faster recovery. Our study strongly supports the hypothesis that boosting milk PMN viability could be a strategy with which to prevent or reduce the severity of coliform mastitis in dairy cows. This strategy might be achieved through strengthening bone marrow functionality.

Animals↗

Proteases involved in mammary tissue damage during endotoxin-induced mastitis in dairy cows.

During and after diapedesis, milk polymorphonu-clear neutrophils (PMN) release many proteases that have the potential of degrading extracellular matrix proteins and milk proteins. However, the kinetics of milk proteolysis during inflammation and the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. The enzymes involved in bovine mammary tissue destruction were investigated in this study using an endotoxin-induced mastitis model. Using zymography techniques, the proteolytic activity of milk and mammary tissue during mastitis was examined. Mastitic milk produced 6 caseolysis bands, 4 of which differed from the ones produced by plasmin. Peak proteolytic activity, bovine serum albumin contents, and mammary tissue damage occurred between 6 and 12 h postchallenge. Mastitic milk proteases hydrolyzed casein, gelatin, collagen, hemoglobin, mammary gland membrane proteins, and lactoferrin. These results confirm that mastitic milk proteases have a broad spectrum of activity. The hydrolytic activity of mastitic milk was partially inhibited by aprotinin, EDTA, 1,10-phenanthroline, leupeptin, and pefabloc. When cocultured with normal mammary tissue, mastitic milk, but not normal milk, caused mammary tissue degradation. In situ zymography of mammary gland showed increased proteolytic activity in mastitic tissue compared with normal tissue. The similarity of zymograms of mastitic milk, blood PMN, milk somatic cells, and PMN strongly suggests that proteases in mastitic milk mainly originate from milk PMN. These results suggest that proteases released by PMN are actively involved in udder tissue damage during mastitis.

Animals↗

Factors affecting cure and somatic cell count after pirlimycin treatment of subclinical mastitis in lactating cows.

This study investigated the associations of both bacteriological cure and quarter somatic cell count (SCC) after intramammary antibiotic treatment with treatment duration, cow characteristics, and pretreatment bacteriology and SCC. For the purpose of this paper, data from 2 treatment groups in each of 2 multi-location studies were selected. These studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of daily intramammary infusions with 50 mg of pirlimycin hydrochloride for the treatment of subclinical mastitis. Data from study 1 allowed for comparison of a group of cows that received pirlimycin intramammarily for 2 d with a group that received no treatment, and study 2 provided data for comparison of pirlimycin for 2 d with pirlimycin for 8 d. Quarter milk samples from cows with a high monthly SCC were tested for bacteriology and SCC. If one or more quarters had both a positive bacteriology and an SCC >/=300,000 cells/mL, the cow was enrolled and randomly allocated to a treatment group. Enrolled cows were monitored for clinical mastitis and other disease for 4 wk after treatment initiation. At 3 and 4 wk after treatment initiation, milk samples were taken from each enrolled quarter to determine the SCC and conduct a bacteriological culture. Bacteriological culture results were interpreted such that quarters where the same bacterial species was cultured before treatment and found in at least 1 of the 2 posttreatment samples were considered a failure. The analysis of SCC used a mixed linear model (SAS proc mixed) and the analysis of bacteriological cure used a mixed logistic model (SAS glimmix macro). Bacteriological cure rate was significantly higher for lower parity, lower number of colonies in the pretreatment culture, longer treatment duration, and for streptococci compared with Staphylococcus aureus. However, treatment regimen affected bacteriological cure differently in major than in minor pathogens and there was a significant interaction of treatment regimen with stage of lactation. Posttreatment SCC was significantly higher with increasing parity, in rear quarters, and with shorter duration of treatment. In the group of second and third parity animals, post-treatment SCC was more reduced in front quarters than in rear quarters. Also, the difference in posttreatment SCC between younger and older cows increased with higher pretreatment SCC. In conclusion, when predicting bacteriological cure following treatment of subclinical mastitis during lactation both treatment regimen and other risk factors need to be considered. The other risk factors may vary with treatment regimen. Posttreatment SCC was associated with treatment regimen, other risk factors, and interactions among the other risk factors; but these other risk factors did not vary significantly with treatment regimen.

Animals↗

Genetic improvement in mastitis resistance: comparison of selection criteria from cross-sectional and random regression sire models for somatic cell score.

Several selection criteria for reducing incidence of mastitis were developed from a random regression sire model for test-day somatic cell score (SCS). For comparison, sire transmitting abilities were also predicted based on a cross-sectional model for lactation mean SCS. Only first-crop daughters were used in genetic evaluation of SCS, and the different selection criteria were compared based on their correlation with incidence of clinical mastitis in second-crop daughters (measured as mean daughter deviations). Selection criteria were predicted based on both complete and reduced first-crop daughter groups (261 or 65 daughters per sire, respectively). For complete daughter groups, predicted transmitting abilities at around 30 d in milk showed the best predictive ability for incidence of clinical mastitis, closely followed by average predicted transmitting abilities over the entire lactation. Both of these criteria were derived from the random regression model. These selection criteria improved accuracy of selection by approximately 2% relative to a cross-sectional model. However, for reduced daughter groups, the cross-sectional model yielded increased predictive ability compared with the selection criteria based on the random regression model. This result may be explained by the cross-sectional model being more robust, i.e., less sensitive to precision of (co)variance components estimates and effects of data structure.

Animals↗

A partial budget model to estimate economic benefits of lactational treatment of subclinical Staphylococcus aureus mastitis.

Subclinical Staphylococcus aureus mastitis is rarely treated during lactation because it is widely believed to be uneconomical, although there are no economic studies that support this view. Partial budgeting was used to develop a deterministic simulation model to estimate the net cost or benefit of antibiotic treatment of subclinical S. aureus mastitis during lactation. Direct and indirect effects of treatment were taken into account, including prevention of clinical flare-ups and contagious transmission. Input variables were based on literature and on 2003-2004 prices in the Netherlands. When contagious transmission of S. aureus was likely (reproductive ratio R = 5.3), 3- and 8-d treatments resulted in an average net profit of 95.62 euros and 142.42 euros, respectively, compared with no treatment. When the probability of S. aureus transmission was low (R = 0.32), the average economic benefit of 3- or 8-d treatment was -21.12 euros and -57.70 euros, respectively. On low-transmission farms, 3-d treatment was profitable when the appropriate cows were selected for treatment using known risk factors for cure. Sensitivity analysis showed that the 6 most influential input variables in the model were chance of bacteriological cure, R, probability of culling, retention pay-off, and cost of antibiotics and bacterial culture. Although the economic outcome of lactational treatment of subclinical S. aureus mastitis is highly herd-, cow-, and strain-dependent, treatment is economically justified in many situations.

Animals↗

Conventional identification of Streptococcus uberis isolated from bovine mastitis in Argentinean dairy herds.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a conventional scheme for identifying Streptococcus uberis strains isolated from bovine mastitis. Seventy-five gram-positive, catalase-negative cocci were collected from cows with mastitis from 19 dairy herds located in the east-central region of Argentina. Five American Type Culture Collection strains and bovine isolates were identified by the API 20 Strep system and by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rDNA. A conventional scheme based on 11 biochemical tests was selected for identification of Strep. uberis strains: the Christie-Atkins-Munch-Petersen reaction; hydrolysis of Arg, esculin, and sodium hippurate; growth in inulin, mannitol, raffinose, salicin, and sorbitol; and growth at 45 degrees C and in 6.5% NaCl. Reference strains and 25 bovine isolates were classified accurately to the species level by the conventional scheme in a blind assay. Each reference strain and each bovine isolate were identified as belonging to the same species following these 3 methods. The remaining 50 isolates identified as Strep. uberis by the API 20 Strep system and 16S rDNA RFLP were assayed by the conventional scheme. This scheme correctly identified 47 (94%) of 50 isolates as Strep. uberis by comparing their biochemical profile with that of the reference strain. Three (6%) of the 50 isolates were classified as Strep. uberis by the API 20 Strep system and by 16S rDNA RFLP and were identified as Enterococcus faecalis by the conventional scheme. Thirty percent of the Strep. uberis strains showed biochemical profiles identical to the Strep. uberis American Type Culture Collection 27958 strain. Seventy percent of the Strep. uberis strains demonstrated variability compared with the reference strain, resulting in 19 different biochemical profiles. The conventional scheme proposed in this study resulted in a relatively low number of misidentifications and could biochemically identify not only typical, but also atypical Strep. uberis strains. This conventional scheme can be considered an adequate method for identifying Strep. uberis strains isolated from bovine mastitis because of its affordable cost in developing countries, and it may contribute to determining the frequency of isolation of Strep. uberis strains in Argentinean dairy herds.

Animals↗

Long-term persistence of specific genetic types of mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus on three dairies.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after SmaI digestion was used to investigate the persistence of specific genotypes of bovine mammary gland isolates of Staphylococcus aureus on 3 dairy herds. A total of 341 isolates of Staph. aureus were available from cows in 3 herds, collected over a period of 15 yr. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis band patterns of Staph. aureus isolates were analyzed visually and with gel analysis and comparison software. Based on this analysis, isolates were classified by PFGE type. Persistence was determined as the time period from the first to the last isolation of a particular PFGE type of Staph. aureus within a herd. Specific types of mastitis-causing Staph. aureus persisted long-term on these dairies. For example, PFGE type 3 isolates persisted on farms A, B, and C for 15, 15, and 13 yr, respectively. Type 6 was found to persist for 13 yr on farm C. Despite the application of standard mastitis control practices, mastitis-causing Staph. aureus types appeared to persist long-term, as detected by PFGE, and were isolated coincident with herd problems of increased milk somatic cell counts and decreased milk production.

Animals↗

Complete versus selective dry cow therapy for mastitis control.

Two hundred and thirty-two cows were assigned alternately to complete dry cow therapy (infusion in all quarters on the day of drying off) or selective therapy (infusion in all quarters if a history of mastitis, California Mastitis Test score of +2 or +3 in any quarter, or if cell counts from bucket milk samples as determined by the membrane filter-deoxyribonucleic acid procedure were above 500,000 cells/ml). A dry cow product containing 10(6) units of procaine penicillin G and 1 g of dihydrostreptomycin in a slow release base was used. A 1% iodophor teat dip was used throughout the experiment. Infections of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, other streptococci, and gram negative rods were eliminated from 85.4% of the infected quarters with complete therapy and 88.2% of the infected quarters with selective therapy. New infections occurred in 3.1% of quarters with complete therapy and in 6.5% of the quarters with selective therapy. Incidence of mastitis following the dry period was less with complete therapy compared to selective therapy (4.6% vs. 7.8% of the quarters). Selective therapy was as effective as complete therapy in eliminating existing infections. Complete therapy would be the choice in situations where new infections in dry period are of concern.

Animals↗

Simplified resazurin rennet test for diagnosis of mastitis.

A simplified resazurin rennet test for diagnosis of bovine mastitis was devised. A tablet of resazurin and rennet was placed in a sterile test tube to which 10 ml of milk were added directly from a teat. The test tube was incubated for 1 h at 37 C. After incubation the change in color of resazurin and the time required for coagulation by the rennet were observed. From the results the milk samples tested were classified into four types. Cell count, modified California Mastitis Test, coagulase positive staphylococci, and contents of solids-not-fat, lactose, and protein differed among the four types. This method is simple and practically useful for diagnosis of bovine mastitis.

Animals↗

Genetic analysis of California mastitis test records. I. Coded tests.

A sample of 15,965 Holstein lactation records having California Mastitis Test scores for at least the first 9 mo of standard Dairy Herd Improvement production testing were studied for the effects of sire, parity, and year and month of calving. California Mastitis Test readings of "negative" or "trace" were coded normal while readings of "1", "2", or "3" were coded elevated. The frequency of elevated tests increased as parity increased. Effect of year of calving and a trend toward higher percentages of elevated coded test scores was significant. There was no distinct trend in elevated coded test score with month of calving. Sire effect on the incidence of elevation in the coded score was important. Heritability of first and second lactation monthly coded California Mastitis Test scores from a paternal half-sister analysis within herd, year, and season, for sires with at least 25 daughters ranged from .11 +/- .04 to .48 +/- .07. Genetic correlations between the third test and following tests of first and second lactations ranged from .25 +/-.15 to .58 +/- .18.

Animals↗

Genetic analysis of California mastitis test records. II. Score for resistance to elevated tests.

A lactation score for rating individual cows for their apparent resistance to elevation of California Mastitis test is described. The score uses the first nine monthly California Mastitis Tests weighted by the number and position of elevated coded tests. California mastitis test readings of negative and trace were coded "normal" and 1, 2, or 3 "elevated". A cumulative lactation score of 21 was assigned to lactations without elevation in coded test, and a score of zero was assigned to lactations with all nine tests elevated. The number and position of the elevated coded tests influenced the 305-day milk yield, and the position of elevated coded tests influenced lactation persistency. Differences were significant among sire progeny groups for the cumulative lactation score. Heritabilities for the cumulative lactation score were .48 +/- .07, .36 +/- .08, .46 +/- .15, and .23 +/- .12 for first, second, third, and fourth or later lactation groups. Selection for a high cumulative lactation score should reduce the occurrence of elevated coded test scores. The genetic correlation between 305-day milk yield and cumulative score was -.31 +/- .13 for first lactation records.

Animals↗

Variation of lactoferrin and mastitis and their heritabilities.

Analyses were of lactoferrin and mastitis of milk samples taken every other month from 830 Holstein cows in eight herds for 1 yr. Patterns of variation and amounts in lactation, colostrum, and dry period were similar to reports. In negative mastitis tests of milk samples, lactoferrin content was lower during lactation and lower as age of the cow advanced than for positive tests. However, heritability of mastitis was .14, whereas for lactoferrin was .44 in records of 289 cows. This latter is high enough to be useful but unreliable with large standard error .30. Several sire groups differed significantly.

Animals↗