Diagnostics of subclinical mastitis in cows

Abstract Background The threat of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exists globally and has been listed as a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization. One of the sources of MRSA emergence is livestock and its products, often raised in poor husbandry conditions. There are limited studies in Nepal to understand the prevalence of MRSA in dairy animals and its antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chitwan, one of the major milk-producing districts of Nepal, from February 2018 to September 2019 to estimate the prevalence of MRSA in milk samples and its AMR profile. The collected milk samples (n = 460) were screened using the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and positive samples were subjected to microbiological analysis to isolate and identify S. aureus. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to identify the presence of the mecA gene and screen for MRSA. Results In total, 41.5% (191/460) of milk samples were positive in the CMT test. Out of 191 CMT positive milk samples, the biochemical tests showed that the prevalence of S. aureus was 15.2% (29/191). Among the 29 S. aureus isolates, 6.9% (2/29) were identified as MRSA based on the detection of a mecA gene. This indicates that that 1.05% (2/191) of mastitis milk samples had MRSA. The antibiotic sensitivity test showed that 75.9% (22/29) and 48.3% (14/29) S. aureus isolates were found to be sensitive to Cefazolin and Tetracycline respectively (48.3%), whereas 100% of the isolates were resistant to Ampicillin. In total 96.6% (28/29) of S. aureus isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Conclusions This study revealed a high prevalence of S. aureus-mediated subclinical mastitis in dairy herds in Chitwan, Nepal, with a small proportion of it being MRSA carrying a mecA gene. This S. aureus, CoNS, and MRSA contaminated milk poses a public health risk due to the presence of a phenotype that is resistant to very commonly used antibiotics. It is suggested that dairy herds be screened for subclinical mastitis and treatments for the animals be based on antibiotic susceptibility tests to reduce the prevalence of AMR. Furthermore, future studies should focus on the Staphylococcus spp. to explore the antibiotic resistance genes in addition to the mecA gene to ensure public health.

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Will Fly Repellency Using Deltamethrin Reduce Intramammary Infections, Stress and Fatigue Indicators of Dairy Ewes under Intensive Management?

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10020232 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 232

Author(s):

Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos ◽

Georgios Sioutas ◽

Eleutherios Triantafillou ◽

Athanasios I. Gelasakis ◽

Elias Papadopoulos

Keyword(s):

Creatine Kinase ◽

Animal Health ◽

Serum Cortisol ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Subclinical Mastitis ◽

Northern Greece ◽

Intramammary Infections ◽

Dairy Ewes ◽

Stressful Environment ◽

Cell Counts

Intramammary infections (IMIs) caused by various pathogens may lead to clinical or subclinical mastitis, challenging the health and welfare status of infected animals and decreasing the quantity and quality of the produced milk. Additionally, the zoonotic potential of some of the pathogens isolated from IMI cases, the emergence of antibiotic resistance due to the extensive antibiotic use for IMI treatment, and the accumulation of antibiotic residues in milk and meat represent significant concerns for public health. Therefore, the investigation of IMI risk factors and the proposal of efficient measures to mitigate their effects on animal health and welfare is crucial. Although fly infestation is considered to play a significant role in the transmission of IMI pathogens, its adverse effects on udder health and the overall comfort status of dairy ewes have not been quantified and assessed on an evidential basis. Hence, the objectives of this study were to assess, for the first time, the fly repellent effect of deltamethrin and link it to: (i) the occurrence of common bacterial IMI; (ii) the somatic cell counts in milk; and (iii) the serum cortisol and creatine kinase levels (stress and fatigue indicators). The study was carried out in an intensive dairy sheep farm in northern Greece, during peak fly season. Deltamethrin treatment was associated with a reduced (i) number of flies (mostly Musca domestica) landing on treated ewes, compared to untreated ones (p < 0.05); (ii) colony-forming units in the case of Non-aureus Staphylococci IMIs (p < 0.05); and (iii) number of somatic cells in the milk (p < 0.001). Finally, serum cortisol and creatine kinase levels were significantly lower in deltamethrin-treated ewes (p < 0.001), indicating a less stressful environment for them.

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Relationship between Temperament and Stage of Lactation, Productivity and Milk Composition of Dairy Cows

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11071840 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1840

Author(s):

Ramūnas Antanaitis ◽

Vida Juozaitienė ◽

Vesta Jonike ◽

Vytenis Čukauskas ◽

Danguolė Urbšienė ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Milk Fat ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Subclinical Mastitis ◽

Milk Composition ◽

Cow Milk ◽

Phenotypic Correlation ◽

Protein Ratio ◽

Stage Of Lactation ◽

Milk Urea ◽

Milk Performance

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between temperament and milk performance in cows at different stages of lactation, describing their productivity, metabolic status and resistance to mastitis. This study showed that with increasing lactation, cows’ temperament indicators decreased (p < 0.001) and they became calmer. The highest temperament score on a five-point scale was found in cows between 45 and 100 days of lactation. In the group of pregnant cows, we found more cows (p = 0.005) with a temperament score of 1–2 compared with non-pregnant cows A normal temperament was usually detected in cows with lactose levels in milk of 4.60% or more and when the somatic cell count (SCC) values in cow milk were <100,000/mL and 100,000–200,000/mL, with a milk fat-to-protein ratio of 1.2. A larger number of more sensitive and highly aggressive cows was detected at a low milk urea level. In contrast to a positive phenotypic correlation (p < 0.05), this study showed a negative genetic correlation between the temperament of cows and milk yield (p < 0.001). Positive genetic correlations between temperament scores and milk somatic cells (p < 0.001) and milk fat-to-protein ratio (p < 0.05) were found to indicate a lower genetic predisposition in cows with a calmer temperament to subclinical mastitis and ketosis. On the other hand, the heritability of temperament (h2 = 0.044–0.100) showed that only a small part of the phenotypic changes in this indicator is associated with genetic factors.

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Development of ELISA against milk haptoglobin for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in goats

Heliyon ◽

10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06314 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. e06314

Author(s):

Sarasati Windria ◽

Siti Isrina Oktavia Salasia ◽

Widi Nugroho ◽

Rini Widayanti ◽

Soedarmanto Indarjulianto

Keyword(s):

Subclinical Mastitis

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Global transcriptomic profiles of circulating leucocytes in early lactation cows with clinical or subclinical mastitis

Molecular Biology Reports ◽

10.1007/s11033-021-06494-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zhangrui Cheng ◽

Laura Buggiotti ◽

Mazdak Salavati ◽

Cinzia Marchitelli ◽

Sergio Palma-Vera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Subclinical Mastitis ◽

Early Lactation

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Characterization of Escherichia coli Strains Derived from Cow Milk of Subclinical and Clinical Cases of Mastitis

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11020541 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 541

Author(s):

Katarzyna Grudlewska-Buda ◽

Krzysztof Skowron ◽

Ewa Wałecka-Zacharska ◽

Natalia Wiktorczyk-Kapischke ◽

Jarosław Bystroń ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Subclinical Mastitis ◽

Clinical Mastitis ◽

Economic Problem ◽

Cow Milk ◽

P Value ◽

Dairy Herds ◽

E Coli ◽

Bonferroni Test

Mastitis is a major economic problem in dairy herds, as it might decrease fertility, and negatively affect milk quality and milk yield. Out of over 150 bacterial species responsible for the udder inflammation, Escherichia coli is one of the most notable. This study aimed to assess antimicrobial susceptibility, resistance to dipping agents and biofilm formation of 150 E. coli strains isolated from milk of cows with subclinical and clinical mastitis. The strains came from three dairy herds located in Northern and Central Poland. The statistical analyses were performed with post-hoc Bonferroni test and chi-square test (including Yates correction). The data with a p value of <0.05 were considered significant. We found that the tested strains were mostly sensitive to antimicrobials and dipping agents. It was shown that 37.33% and 4.67% of strains were resistant and moderately resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent, respectively. No extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing E. coli were detected. The majority of strains did not possess the ability to form biofilm or formed a weak biofilm. The strong biofilm formers were found only among strains derived from cows with subclinical mastitis. The lowest bacteria number was noted for subclinical mastitis cows’ strains, after stabilization with iodine (3.77 log CFU × cm−2) and chlorhexidine (3.96 log CFU × cm−2) treatment. In the present study, no statistically significant differences in susceptibility to antibiotics and the ability to form biofilm were found among the strains isolated from cows with subclinical and clinical mastitis. Despite this, infections in dairy herds should be monitored. Limiting the spread of bacteria and characterizing the most common etiological factors would allow proper treatment.

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Seriousness and Stability of Subclinical Mastitis Assessed by Quarter Milk Serum Albumin

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica ◽

10.1186/bf03546557 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 273-285

Author(s):

G. Bakken ◽

M. Thorburn

Keyword(s):

Serum Albumin ◽

Subclinical Mastitis ◽

Milk Serum

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