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Mastitis Organisms. Contagious organisms Environmental organisms “Oddball” organisms. Contagious Organisms. Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus agalactiae Corynebacterium bovis Mycoplasma bovis. Staphylococcus aureus. Invasive pathogen that causes fibrosis and abscesses/microabscesses
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Mastitis Organisms • Contagious organisms • Environmental organisms • “Oddball” organisms
Contagious Organisms • Staphylococcus aureus • Streptococcus agalactiae • Corynebacterium bovis • Mycoplasma bovis
Staphylococcus aureus • Invasive pathogen that causes fibrosis and abscesses/microabscesses • Approx. 20% of infections become clinical • Major cause of subclinical mastitis • Suspected in herds with older cows, high SCC and low culling rates
Staphylococcus aureus • Shed in low numbers from infected quarters • Diagnosis by culturing requires serial samples • Clinical presentation varies • Chronic Staph. aureus mastitis very difficult to treat
Staphylococcus aureus • Low cure rates for lactation treatments (10-30%) • Dry cow treatment cure rates range from 50 – 80% • Some strains resistant to penicillin
Staphylococcus aureus • Prevention • Avoid buying Staph cows • Proper function of milking machine • Good post dipping routine • Treat all quarters at dry off • Cull chronically infected cows • Milk Staph cows separately
Strep. agalactiae • Not invasive • Causes inflammation and fibrosis • Clinical cases usually mild • Primarily causes subclinical mastitis • Bulk tank SCC highly elevated
Strep. agalactiae • Shed in high numbers from infected gland • Easy to culture from milk samples • 1 infected cow in 200 will be detectable in bulk tank milk culture
Strep. agalactiae • Sensitive to penicillin • Lactational and dry cow therapy both have >90% cure rates • Easily eradicated through: • Dry cow therapy or “blitz” treatment • Good hygiene • Teat dipping • Prevention as for Staph. aureus
Mycoplasma • Multiple quarter involvement with clinical mastitis • Clinical cases usually severe • May be a systemic phase of infection • Shed in very large numbers • 1 in 1,000 will cause positive BTC • Requires special media for culture • Suspect in herds with persistent, refractory mastitis and no growth on milk cultures
Coliforms • Infection due to direct transfer from the environment • Majority of cases in early lactation • Cows more susceptible than heifers • Clinical signs caused mainly by endotoxins
Coliforms • Most infections eliminated quickly without clinical signs • Some become acute clinical cases • Udder is firm and swollen • Milk often serous or hemorrhagic with clots • Systemic illness due to toxemia
Coliforms • Do not usually cause persistently elevated SCC • Monitor by culturing milk from new clinical cases
Coliforms • TREATMENT • Frequent stripping • Fluid i/v and oral • NSAIDs • Corticosteroids • ? Intramammary antibiotics • ? Systemic antibiotics • ? Calcium therapy
Coliforms • PREVENTION • Need to prevent, not treat • Sanitation • Milk clean, dry udder • Vaccination
Environmental Streps • Organisms commonly found on skin, mucous membranes and colonizing gut • 50% of infections become mild clinical infections • Highest incidence of new infections is in dry period
Environmental Streps • Herd monitoring best accomplished by culturing high SCC cows and clinicals • Lactational therapy – 50-60% cure with on label treatments • Higher cure rates in lactation with extended therapy • Dry cow therapy eliminates most existing infections
Environmental Streps • Prevention is key • Sanitation • Milk clean, dry udder • Predipping
“Oddball” organisms • Coagulase negative Staphs • Hyicus, epidermidis etc • Common inhabitants of teat skin • Higher incidence in first lactation • Moderate elevation of SCC • Teat dipping, dry cow treatment are important for control
“Oddball” organisms • Arcanobacter pyogenes • Severe clinical mastitis - “Summer Mastitis” • Abscessed quarter • Usually in heifers at pasture • Too late to treat by the time you find it
“Oddball” organisms • Nocardia, Candida, Pseudomonas • Often 2ndary to unsanitary infusion techniques or contaminated infusion products • Pseudomonas often in contaminated water (check the drop hoses in the milking parlor!)
“Oddball” organisms • Serratia marscescens – has been associated with contaminated water supplies and contaminated teat dips • Bacillus spp - has been associated with contaminated antibiotic preparations and with feeding wet brewer’s grains (B. cereus)