Mastitis in Dairy Cattle

1. Mastitis in Dairy Cattle AVS 346 Dairy Cattle Technology

2. Mastitis An inflammation of the milk secreting tissues of the udder, caused by microbial infections in one or more quarters. Disease of Humans Affects 25 to 30 percent of all quarters The most costly disease of dairy cattle $200 /cow/year $2 Billion annually

3. Mastitis Affects on Profitability Decreased milk production 70% of total costs Not visible to producers Milk dumped due to treatment Veterinary and drug costs Labor costs Culling and death losses Lost quality premiums

4. Determinants of Mastitis

5. Mastitis Infection Almost always caused by bacteria that generally enter through the teat canal. Four ways for cow to get mastitis!! The environment inside the udder is warm and moist with plenty of available nutrients, so bacteria multiply rapidly.

6. Mastitis Terminology Clinical � Presence of clinical signs Signs of infection Udder shows signs of inflammation (Rewdness, swollen, tender, hard, etc.) Milk is abnormal Flecks, gargot (clots), off color, bloody Goal <2% per month Subclinical No evidence of abnormality except milk positive on special tests. CMT, SCC, Sterile milk culture, etc.

7. Mastitis in a Herd

8. Detecting Subclinical Mastitis Increased Somatic Cells Bulk Tank SCC DHI Individual Cow SCC Direct Count, spectroscopy CMT Sterile Milk Culture Find mastitis causing organisms Electrical Conductivity Antibody ELISA NAGase N-Acetyl-B-D-Glucosaminidase

9. Mastitis Terminology Acute Rapid and severe onset High temperature Serious condition Chronic Persistent subclinical form

10. Mastitis Affects on Milk Composition Milk Production: Decreases milk production by causing tissue damage, reduced lactose production and scar tissue formation in the udder. Milk Quality and Composition: Increasing somatic cell count Polymorphonuclear neutrophils Decreasing lactose, casein, and fat production, Increasing blood components such as Na, K, Cl, bicarbonate, IgG and serum albumin. Electrical potential disrupted Bacteria, blood cells and enzymes Proteolysis Lipolysis and globule breakdown Off flavors

11. Effect of SC on Milk Composition

12. Effect of SCC on Cheese Yield

13. Types of Mastitis Contagious Environmental

14. Contagious Mastitis Primary habitat bacteria live on/in the udder and teat lesions Poor survival of bacteria in the environment Is spread from cow to cow, primarily during milking by milk-contaminated fomites at milking, sponge, milker's hands, milking machine Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactia, Mycoplasma bovis and sometimes streptococcus uberis are contagious mastitis causing organisms. Usually chronic, subclinical mastitis

15. Test Don�t Guess!!!

16. Streptococcus agalactiae Strep Ag Gram positive Inhabits ducts and cisterns Does not survive in environment Inflammation blocks duct Leads to decreased milk production, increased somatic cell count and involution Few enzymes/toxins produced Antibiotic sensitivity

17. Strep Ag - Continued Common �Old Form� Still common in poorly managed herds Causes 20-40 subclinicals for each clinical Susceptible to penicillin Can eradicate from herd with �Test & Treat� program Well managed herds have eradicated it Dry cow treatment highly effective Proper sanitation and milking procedures prevent cross infection

18. Sources of Strep Ag Major source is the infected cow. Injected into udder during milking Squawking Contaminated floors and stalls Newly purchased cows Heifer calves suckling penmates. Milking personnel as carriers

19. Staphylococcus aureus #1 cause of mastitis in US Many forms acute, chronic, subclinical (chronic, subclinical predominates) Produces many enzymes/toxins (catalase, coagulase) Invasive-hyaluronidase Resists phagocytosis & immune system Forms abscesses; may result in fibrosis Facultative intracellular pathogen Decreased milk production and increased somatic cell count

20. Staphylococcus aureus Antibiotic resistance resulting from genetic mutations Difficult to eliminate Some environmental survival Skin, bedding Transferred via milking machine and milker Hands - Gloves May be isolated from mammary gland of heifers Found in combination with other bugs Early detection critical to successful treatment

21. Mycoplasma Between a bacteria and a virus No cell wall so antibiotics are ineffective Control by biosecurity Spread through contaminated antibiotics, syringes milking units, common cloths, etc.� Teat dipping is a good preventative Isolation and culling Usually in well-managed herds NYS Study � 10% of herds have infected cow Maine BT Study 2002 � 3% of herds

22. Control of Contagious Mastitis Dip teats in germicide after pre and post milking Treat quarters with dry cow antibiotics at end of lactation Milking order or separate claw for infected cows Flush milk claws (hot water or germicide) after milking infected cows (backflushing) Individual cloth/paper towels to wash/dry teats Clean hands, latex gloves Culture new cow additions Cull persistently infected cows Minimize teat end lesions Dry treat heifers before calving

23. Environment Mastitis Environment to cow Incidence increases as the incidence of contagious mastitis decreases Primary habitat of bacterial is in the environment (feces, soil, bedding, water) Environmental contact at milking time or between milkings

24. Environmental Mastitis Organisms from the bedding, stalls, corrals, etc. gain entrance through fatigued teat canals after or during milking to cause infection. Streptococcus dysgalactia, Streptococcus uberus, and Coliform (E. coli, Klebsiella) are a few the organisms that live in the environment.

25. Got Mastitis??

26. Coliforms E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp. Gram negative Feces, bedding, wet dirty udders Transient peracute/acute mastitis Endotoxin Very sick - death More prevalent in warm, wet weather

27. Sources Infection occurs when contaminated material contacts and enters teat canal Infections occur at any stage Sediment from unclean surroundings, flank, and udder Manure Polluted water (barnyard) Unclean equipment Wet bedding, especially green sawdust Infected quarter of other cows

28. Eschericha coli Clinical signs include: Acute to subclinical infections Yellow to watery secretion Subnormal temperature Quarter can be hard and swollen Inhabitant of GI tract Wet milking Septic infusion into udder Antibiotics of little help Supportive therapy Fluids, steroids, antihistamines, antiprostaglandins

29. Klebsiella Clinical signs similar to E. coli Acute to subclinical infections Yellow to watery secretion Subnormal temperature Quarter can be hard and swollen Associated with soil contamination Grows well in wood products Switch bedding Maintain high pH in bedding

30. Streptococcus species Strep non-ag Strep uberis, dysgalactiae, bovis Inhabitant of GI tract Clinical signs Milk infections with clots and flakes Moderate swelling High SCC Milking sanitation Milk clean dry teats Predipping Clean up environment

31. Other Environmental Organisms Pseudomonas Gram negative, ubiquitous Contaminated water, pipes, heater, wash hoses, teat dip Antibiotic resistance Protheca Algae Wet soil and mud Yeasts Excessive antibiotic therapy Contaminated infusions

32. Control of Environmental Mastitis More difficult to control than the contagious pathogens Most are resistant to germicides in teat dip and antibiotics in dry cow therapy Key is to ID source and remove (bedding, ponds, mud) Clip or flame udders Milk only clean dry teats Clean parlor, stalls, bedding Barrier dips Predip teats with germicide before milking � No water Keep cows standing after milking - feeding Sterile single-dose infusion products Sterile infusion techniques (alcohol swab)

33. Teat Sealant

34. Orbeseal

35. Orbeseal data

36. Timing of Infection

37. Somatic Cell Counts - SCC Epithelial cells and white blood cells Changes with milk production, infection, age, stage.� Measures the level of udder stress/damage/irritation Under 240,000 /ml uninfected Over 240,000 /ml infected Legal limit 750,000/ml not very stringent Not a measure of� actual mastitis infection Do not treat based solely on SCC! Easy way to assess the mastitis level in a herd Excellent mastitis management tool Highest correlation with milk production of any DHIA measure SCC probably can't be too low Not the SCC but response to infection which is important

38. Factors that Influence SCC Minor Factors Age of the cow Stage of lactation Season Stress on the gland Breed Genetics Milking fraction Major Factor Mastitis infection

39. Milk Production Losses

40. Early Lactation Mastitis Increases DO

41. Mastitis Treatment IMM Therapy Injection of antibiotics into udder Systemic Therapy Antibiotics IV or IM Supportive Therapy Remove toxins � Frequent milkout Treat dehydration, swelling and pain Know bug Lactational Therapy Likelihood of success? Dry Cow Therapy Larger dose, longer acting product

42. Mastitis Treatment IMM Therapy Use an approved product Use proper technique Have culture reports and sensitivities Make best guess on first drug Cow history, treatments and results Don�t give up on a certain antibiotic, often response is seen with longer course of therapy Have a standard protocol

43. Mastitis Treatment Protocols

44. Supportive Treatment Reduced risk of antibiotic residues Organic herds Oxytocin / Stripping Eliminates toxins and bacteria food Not effective against contagious bugs Aspirin, Antihistamines, Anti-inflammatory Fluids � dehydration

45. Mastitis Prevention Proper Milking Techniques Procedures, training, monitoring Keep cows clean! Proper Bedding Sand is the best bedding Organic bedding (sawdust, etc.) must be dry Stall sized to fit cows Udder flaming, tail docking Nutrition Vitamins and minerals Milk contagious cows last Maintain milking equipment

46. Diagnosing a Herd Problem Bulk Tank SCC � Dairy Plant ID Herd Problem Individual SCC�s ID Cows CMT�s ID Cows Reasons for Culling Sterile Milk Culture ID bug

47. Flow of DHIA Data

48. DHIA Individual Cow SCC Level of new infections Low (<4) last month - high (>4) this month Level of chronic infections High last month - high this month First Lactation animals affected When are infections happening?

50. Culling

55. Graph of Previous SCS vs Current SCS

56. Average SCS by Lactation

58. Avg SCS Lactation=1, DIM <40

59. SCS Throughout Lactation