Survey on Antimicrobial Residues in Raw Milk and Antimicrobial Use in Dairy Farms in the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy

Introduction: In this Cattle Review we consider a meta-analysis of dietary cation-anion difference research, methods of measuring antimicrobial use on dairy farms, and UK veterinary students' attitudes towards production animal orientated careers.

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One Health: Farmworker Perceptions of Antibiotic Resistance and Personal Protective Practices on Wisconsin Dairy Farms

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2020.1118 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s448-s449

Author(s):

Ali Konkel ◽

Ashley Kates ◽

Mary Jo Knobloch ◽

Wisconsin ◽

Nasia Safdar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Systems Engineering ◽

One Health ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Raw Milk ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Farm Workers ◽

Individual Knowledge

Background: Antimicrobials are used on dairy farms for preventing disease and treating common infections such as mastitis. Objective: We aimed to understand farmworker practices that potentially contribute to transmission of antimicrobial resistance bacteria and their genes (ARG) among animals and farm workers, and to identify human behavioral interventions to reduce risk. Methods: Focus groups with farm workers were held at 8 dairy farms across Wisconsin selected to represent a range of antibiotic use in cattle. We explored the nature of potentially high-risk practices and farm-worker knowledge and experiences with antibiotic use and resistance. Farm workers were asked to describe common tasks, including hand hygiene and eating practices, and the policies guiding these practices. Focus groups were conducted in English and Spanish guided by the Systems Engineering in Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework, adapted for an agricultural context. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and translated. A content analysis was conducted to identify themes. Dedoose version 8.0.35 software was used to organize the data. Results: In total, 10 focus groups were conducted on 8 farms. Knowledge of when to use antibiotics for human health varied; upset stomach, headache, and flu symptoms were suggested as appropriate uses. Few workers had personal experience with antibiotic resistance at home or on the farm. Some displayed knowledge of the role of antibiotic stewardship in preventing the spread of ARG (“I guess all dairy farmers have a responsibility not to overdo it”). Others associated the risk of spread with the consumption of raw milk or meat from cows receiving antibiotics. Knowledge of personal protective equipment was stronger among workers who commonly reported glove use. Some perceived glove use to be mandatory, and others chose to wear gloves in the perceived absence of written rules. Some workers reported changing gloves numerous times throughout the day, and others did so less frequently or “only when they rip.” In general, hand hygiene practices are guided by individual knowledge of established rules, beliefs about risk, and personal discretion. Conclusions: Knowledge about mechanisms of spread of ARGs varies among workers on Wisconsin dairy farms and reflects a combination of farm-level rules, experience, individual knowledge, and beliefs. Applying knowledge from the healthcare setting to reduce ARG spread into agriculture is crucial to the tenets of One Health. Programs to reduce ARG spread on dairy farms should focus on proper hand hygiene and PPE use at the level of knowledge, beliefs, and practices.Funding: Funding: was provided by the USDA-NIFA Food Safety Challenge (grant no. 2017-68003-26500).Disclosures: None

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Comparison of Defined Course Doses (DCDvet) for Blanket and Selective Antimicrobial Dry Cow Therapy on Conventional and Organic Farms

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9100707 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 707 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Clair Firth ◽

Annemarie Käsbohrer ◽

Christa Egger-Danner ◽

Klemens Fuchs ◽

Beate Pinior ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Point Of View ◽

Antimicrobial Use ◽

Organic Farms ◽

Controversial Subject ◽

Dry Cow Therapy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

History Of ◽

The Difference

Antimicrobial use in livestock production is a controversial subject. While antimicrobials should be used as little as possible, it is still necessary, from both an animal health and welfare point of view, to treat infected animals. The study presented here aimed to analyse antimicrobial use on Austrian dairy farms by calculating the number of Defined Course Doses (DCDvet) administered per cow and year for dry cow therapy. Antimicrobial use was analysed by production system and whether farmers stated that they used blanket dry cow therapy (i.e., all cows in the herd were treated) or selective dry cow therapy (i.e., only cows with a positive bacteriological culture or current/recent history of udder disease were treated). A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was determined between antimicrobial use for blanket (median DCDvet/cow/year: 0.88) and selective dry cow therapy (median DCDvet/cow/year: 0.41). The difference between antimicrobial use on conventional and organic farms for dry cow therapy as a whole, however, was not statistically significant (p = 0.22) (median DCDvet/cow/year: 0.68 for conventional; 0.53 for organic farms). This analysis demonstrates that selective dry cow therapy leads to a lower overall use of antimicrobials and can assist in a more prudent use of antimicrobials on dairy farms.

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Occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in Raw Milk in Nebraska

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-51.11.840 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 51 (11) ◽

pp. 840-841 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

MICHAEL B. LIEWEN ◽

MARK W. PLAUTZ

Keyword(s):

Listeria Monocytogenes ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Raw Milk ◽

Storage Tanks ◽

Biochemical Tests ◽

Bulk Storage ◽

Milk Samples ◽

Listeria Species ◽

Enrichment Procedure

Raw milk samples were obtained from bulk storage tanks of individual dairy farms in eastern Nebraska during February and July of 1986. One hundred different farms were tested during each period. One-tenth ml of each sample was plated directly onto McBride's Listeria Agar (MLA) and 30 ml was subjected to a four-week cold enrichment procedure. Suspect colonies from MLA were subjected to biochemical tests to confirm identity. Nine percent of all raw milk samples examined were determined to be positive for Listeria species after the cold enrichment procedure. Four percent contained L. monocytogenes and five percent contained L. innocua. Six percent and two percent of samples were found to contain L. monocytogenes in February and July respectively.

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Milk Safety Assessment, Isolation, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile of Staphylococcus aureus in Selected Dairy Farms of Mukaturi and Sululta Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Veterinary Medicine International ◽

10.1155/2019/3063185 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sema Regasa ◽

Shimelis Mengistu ◽

Ashebr Abraha

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Raw Milk ◽

Penicillin G ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Milk Consumption ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile

A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk and swab, to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility profile, milk handling practice, and its associated risk factors in selected dairy farms of Mukaturi and Sululta Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. A total of 247 samples collected from dairy farms were examined using standard microbiological techniques. The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the isolates were also investigated. The possible risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus contaminations in milk were evaluated through a structured questionnaire. Overall, 16.6% (n= 41) of the samples were positive for S. aureus. The prevalence of S. aureus was 15.3% from udder milk and 25%, 20%, and 10% from milkers’ hand, milking bucket, and drying towel swab, respectively. The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in milk showed statistically significant variation with respect to age (p≤ 0.001), parity (P≤ 0.001), drainage condition of milking area (P=0.035), study sites (P=0.035), and management system (P=0.035). Majority of the isolates were found resistant to penicillin G (97.6%) and amoxicillin (43.9%). According to this study, 12/28(42.9%) Staphylococcus aureus positive raw milk samples had 104-105cfu/ml S. aureus count, which is above the recommended level for human consumption. 47.1% of milking persons store milk at room temperature temporarily (between 6 and 12 hrs) till transport to collection center with no means of cooling aid. From consumers 25.6% had no health risk associated with raw milk consumption or aware of milk borne disease associated with drinking raw milk. Thus, 60.5% of milk users had habit of raw milk consumption. The study revealed a prevalence of S. aureus, poor milk handling practices, raw milk consumption behavior in study area. Proper handling and hygiene decrease milk contamination by S. aureus and make it safe for human consumption.

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Campylobacter jejuni in Cattle and Raw Milk in The Netherlands

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-45.13.1212 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 45 (13) ◽

pp. 1212-1213 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

J. OOSTEROM ◽

G. B. ENGELS ◽

R. PETERS ◽

R. POT

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Campylobacter Jejuni ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Raw Milk ◽

Direct Plating ◽

Enrichment Procedure

A survey was done on the occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni in slaughtered cattle and raw milk from dairy farms in The Netherlands, In the first part of the survey, in which direct plating techniques were used, no C. jejuni was detected in any of 200 samples of caecal contents of cattle or in 200 samples of raw milk. A second series of investigations was done using a new enrichment procedure. This time C. jejuni was isolated from 11 of 200 caecal contents, but from none of 200 samples of milk. Further experiments showed that Campylobacter can survive in milk at 4°C for weeks, whether the milk was shaken with air (as occurs during the milking process) or not. Our investigations indicate that C. jejuni was not excreted with the milk. It can be concluded that cattle in The Netherlands do not play an important role in the epidemiology of C. jejuni.

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