Haptoglobin and serum amyloid A in milk from dairy cows with chronic sub-clinical mastitis

New tools are needed to detect chronic sub-clinical mastitis, especially in automatic milking systems. Haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA) are the two most sensitive bovine acute phase proteins, and their concentrations increase in milk from cows with clinical mastitis and in milk from cows with experimentally induced chronic sub-clinical Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the potential for haptoglobin and SAA in milk as indicators of chronic sub-clinical mastitis. Quarter milk samples were collected from 41 cows with a mean composite milk somatic cell count (CSCC) above 300,000 cells/mL during at least two months prior to sampling. Quarter milk samples were also taken from eleven cows with a mean CSCC below 80,000 cells/mL during at least two previous months. These samples were analysed for haptoglobin, SAA, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity and bacterial growth. The samples were grouped according to their ATP, haptoglobin and SAA status. ATP+ samples had ATP > 2 x 10(-10) mol/mL, Hp+ and SAA+ samples had detectable levels of haptoglobin (> or = 0.3 mg/L) and SAA (> or = 0.9 mg/L), respectively. In udder quarter samples from healthy cows, 42 out of 44 samples belonged to the ATP-Hp-SAA- group. Among cows with chronic sub-clinical mastitis, the ATP+Hp+SAA+ group contained 66 out of 164 samples while 44 samples belonged to the ATP+Hp-SAA- group. Detectable levels of haptoglobin and SAA were found in 92 and 80 samples, respectively. Growth of udder pathogens was detected in 28 samples and Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria. In conclusion, haptoglobin and SAA concentrations below the detection limit were considered as good indicators of healthy udder quarters. A substantial variation in haptoglobin and SAA concentrations in milk was observed in udder quarters with chronic sub-clinical mastitis.     

Udder health in beef cows and its association with calf growth

Background

Studies outside the Nordic countries have indicated that subclinical mastitis (measured by milk somatic cell count or the California Mastitis Test), intramammary infections (IMI), or blind quarters in beef cows may have negative effects on beef calf growth. Knowledge on prevalence of such udder health problems in Swedish beef cows is scarce. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate subclinical mastitis, IMI and udder conformation in a number of beef cow herds. Production of β-lactamase in staphylococci was also investigated. Associations between certain cow factors and subclinical mastitis and IMI, and associations between cow and calf factors and 200 day calf weaning weight were also studied. The herds were visited once within a month after calving and once at weaning. Udder examination and quarter milk sampling, for somatic cell count and bacteriology, were performed in 8 to 12 cows per herd and occasion.

Results

Approximately 50%, 40% and 10% of the cows had subclinical mastitis, IMI, and at least one blind quarter, respectively, but the prevalence varied markedly between herds. Intramammary infections (mainly due to staphylococci) were identified in 13-16% of the milk samples. Less than 5% of the staphylococcal isolates produced β-lactamase. Approximately 11% of the cows sampled twice had the same IMI (mostly Staphylococcus aureus) at both samplings. Cow factors of importance for subclinical mastitis and/or IMI were teat and udder shape, breed, parity, presence of blind quarters, and cow hygiene. No significant associations were found between udder health parameters studied and calf weaning weights.

Conclusions

Subclinical mastitis and IMI, but not blind quarters, were common in beef cows, but the prevalence varied markedly between herds. Most IMI were caused by staphylococci and more than 95% of those were sensitive to penicillin. Cows with large funnel-shaped teats or pendulous udder after calving, and cows with blind quarters were at risk of having subclinical mastitis and/or IMI. Poor hygiene was also a risk factor for udder health problems. No significant associations were found between udder health and calf weaning weight. More studies on risk factors are warranted to improve advisory services on awareness and prevention of mastitis in beef cows.     

Effect of oral administration of colostrum on inflammation in the udders of dairy cows suffering from mastitis

The present study was undertaken to examine whether oral administration of colostrum to mastitic cows reduced inflammation in the udder. Fifty milliliters of a colostrum whey product was administered orally daily for 3 days to cows suffering from mastitis. Milk was collected on day 0 and 7 of colostrum administration. For Experiment 1, milk from 11 udder quarters with high somatic cell counts (SCC) in four cows was used. SCC in milk decreased significantly after colostrum administration, whereas colostrum administration increased sodium and IgA concentrations significantly compared with those before administration. In Experiment 2, cows with clinical mastitis were divided into two groups, with and without colostrum administration, whereas all cows with subclinical mastitis were administered colostrum. Antibiotics were infused into the mammary gland from the first day of colostrum administration for 2–4 days. There was no significant decrease in SCC after colostrum administration in any group. However, udder firmness in both clinical mastitis groups was reduced after administration regardless of colostrum administration. IgA concentration in both clinical mastitis groups was significantly increased after colostrum administration compared to that before administration, although there was no significant difference between them. These results suggest the possibility that oral administration of colostrum attenuates inflammation of the mammary gland. Further studies are required to examine the effect of colostrum more precisely using cows with subclinical and chronic mastitis and longer duration of colostrum administration.     

Pharmacokinetics of norfloxacin in dogs after single intravenous and single and multiple oral administrations of the drug

Norfloxacin was given to 6 healthy dogs at a dosage of 5 mg/kg of body weight IV and orally in a complete crossover study, and orally at dosages of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg to 6 healthy dogs in a 3-way crossover study. For 24 hours, serum concentration was monitored serially after each administration. Another 6 dogs were given 5 mg of norfloxacin/kg orally every 12 hours for 14 days, and serum concentration was determined serially for 12 hours after the first and last administration of the drug. Complete blood count and serum biochemical analysis were performed before and after 14 days of oral norfloxacin administration, and clinical signs of drug toxicosis were monitored twice daily during norfloxacin administration. Urine concentration of norfloxacin was determined periodically during serum acquisition periods. Norfloxacin concentration was determined, using high-performance liquid chromatography with a limit of detection of 25 ng of norfloxacin/ml of serum or urine. Serum norfloxacin pharmacokinetic values after single IV dosing in dogs were best modeled, using a 2-compartment open model, with distribution and elimination half-lives of 0.467 and 3.56 hours (harmonic means), respectively. Area-derived volume of distribution (Vd area) was 1.77 +/- 0.69 L/kg (arithmetic mean +/- SD), and serum clearance (Cls) was 0.332 +/- 0.115 L/h/kg. Mean residence time was 4.32 +/- 0.98 hour. Comparison of the area under the curve (AUC; derived, using model-independent calculations) after iv administration (5 mg/kg) with AUC after oral administration (5 mg/kg) in the same dogs indicated bioavailability of 35.0 +/- 46.1%, with a mean residence time after oral administration of 5.71 +/-2.24 hours. Urine concentration was 33.8 +/- 15.3 micrograms/ml at 4 hours after a single dose of 5 mg/kg given orally, whereas concentration after 20 mg/kg was given orally was 56.8 +/- 18.0 micrograms/ml at 6 hours after dosing. Twelve hours after drug administration, urine concentration was 47.4 +/- 20.6 micrograms/ml after the 5-mg/kg dose and 80.6 +/- 37.7 micrograms/ml after the 20/mg/kg dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Microbiological studies on bacterial spectra of milk samples from healthy udder quarters and from those with increased cell counts and/or conductivity values]

The germ levels of 2,182 milk samples obtained from udder quarters with subclinical mastitis were compared to milk sampled from 2,061 udder quarters with physiological cell counts or conductivity values. Three cattle herds were involved in the test programme. No germ growth was established from 9.5 per cent of all samples taken from udder quarters with increased cell counts and conductivities and from 4.1 per cent of those samples taken from intact udder quarters. Samples taken from udder quarters with subclinical mastitis exhibited the following rises in bacteria, as compared to samples from intact quarters: staphylococci by 3.1 per cent, staphylocci in germ mixtures by 3.0 per cent, CAMP-positive streptococci by 2.2 per cent, alpha-haemolytic CAMP-negative streptococci by 0.8 per cent, anhaemolytic streptococci in germ mixtures by 0.4 per cent, beta-haemolytic streptococci by 0.5 per cent, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by 1.4 per cent. Other germ species and mixtures exhibited declining trends along with growing subclinical affection of udder quarters. All findings so far obtained in the presence of subclinical mastitis are likely to suggest that 11.4 per cent of detected bacteria were of pathogenicity to udders. However, attempts to localise those 11.4 per cent were unsuccessful, since no significant difference could be calculated by comparison of intact with affected udder quarters. Reference is made in the discussion to primary and secondary germ levels of milk samples and their relevance to the problem and its elucidation.     

Prototheca zopfii mastitis in a herd of dairy cows

Mastitis caused by the colourless alga Prototheca zopfii was diagnosed in 17 of 120 cows in a dairy herd. Infection occurred in animals varying from 3-14 years old and was present in one to four quarters of each cow. Nine cases were associated with clinical mastitis characterised by the presence in milk of flakes or small clots. Somatic cell counts consistent with subclinical mastitis (>500 x 10(3) cells/ml) were recorded in five of the eight remaining cows. Histological examination of udder tissue showed the presence of granulomatous lesions associated with the presence of Prototheca. The problem was identified and controlled by repeated microbiological examination of milk samples from all lactating cows and immediate culling of infected animals. P. zopfii was also recovered from environmental water samples on this farm. It is suggested that infection may have occurred as a result of teat sores caused by trauma from a milking machine, and the tendency for cows to lay down on a race, the surface of which was sometimes flooded by drain water in which Prototheca were present.     

Antitrypsin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase as markers of mastitis in a herd of Ayshire cows

Microplate analyzers for N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) and antitrypsin in milk were high-capacity systems for determination of subclinical mastitis on a mammary-quarter basis in a herd of 80 Ayshire cows. Infected quarters could be better differentiated from non-infected quarters by interquarter evaluation of milk NAGase and antitrypsin, than by adaptation of threshold values based on measured NAGase and antitrypsin values. This differentiation between healthy quarters and mastitic quarters was further improved by using absolute values and interquarter evaluations in combination. Therefore, quarter-based sample collection in combination with microplate technology and computerization is proposed as the method of choice for monitoring udder health in herds.     

Prevalence of clinical mastitis in 38 Waikato dairy herds in early lactation

AIM: To determine the prevalence of clinical mastitis in spring-calving dairy herds in the Waikato Region of New Zealand and to identify factors associated with variation in the prevalence of clinical mastitis between herds. METHOD: A total of 799 quarters from 595 dairy cows from 38 dairy herds were diagnosed by herd owners as having clinical mastitis between 8 July and 21 August 1997. Quarters diagnosed with clinical mastitis were sampled for bacterial culture and somatic cell count, and the presence of clots in the milk and the presence of udder oedema were assessed by a technician or veterinarian. RESULTS: Clinical mastitis was diagnosed in an average (+/-s.e.m.) of 9.9% (+/-0.8%, range 0.9-21.4%) of calved cows within the herds. Bacteria were not cultured from an average of 12.4 % (+/- 2.0%, range 0.0-45.5%) of cows and 22.3% (+/- 2.4%, range 0.0-54.0%) of quarters diagnosed as having clinical mastitis. There were significant differences between herds in the proportion of cows diagnosed with mastitis and in the proportion of clinical mastitis cases from which bacteria were not cultured. A decreased prevalence of clinical mastitis (p<0.001) was associated with an increased percentage of the herd treated with dry cow antibiotics. An increased prevalence of clinical mastitis (p<0.0001) was associated with both an increased percentage of cows treated in the previous season with lactating cow antibiotics and an increased percentage of heifers in the herd. Herds that were fed supplements before or during lactation had a higher prevalence of clinical mastitis than herds that were not fed supplements (p<0.001). An increased proportion of quarters diagnosed with clinical mastitis that did not culture bacteria was associated with an increased prevalence of clinical mastitis (p<0.001). The proportion of quarters that the technician or veterinarian found with evidence of clinical mastitis (i.e. a somatic cell count >500,000 cells/ml and the presence of either clots or udder oedema) within a herd was inversely related to the proportion of quarters within a herd from which no bacteria were isolated. CONCLUSION: There was a large variation in the prevalence of clinical mastitis and in the proportion of clinical quarters from which no bacteria were grown between herds. Management factors such as the use of dry cow therapy, feeding regimes and heifer replacement rates all affected the prevalence of clinical mastitis. Herd owners appear to differ in the sensitivity and specificity of their diagnosis of clinical mastitis, with bacteria not isolated from up to 50% of quarters diagnosed with clinical mastitis in some herds. Improvements in the specificity of herd owner diagnosis of clinical mastitis may reduce the use of antibiotics for mastitis during lactation and hence may reduce the risk of antibiotic contamination of milk supplied for human consumption.     

An investigation of mastitis due to S agalactiae, S uberis and M smegmatis in a dairy herd

Subclinical mastitis caused by streptococcal infections affected 27 of 83 cows in a commercial dairy herd. Between three and six weeks after intramammary treatment of these cows with cloxacillin, 16 (59 per cent) of the treated cows developed acute clinical mastitis associated with Mycobacterium smegmatis. None of the untreated cows was affected. Infected quarters were moderately hypertrophied and fine clots were present in the milk for three to four weeks. No cows showed systemic signs of illness. Studies carried out over 12 months showed that infected cows shed M smegmatis for three to four months and affected quarters remained hypertrophied in all but one cow after 12 months. The mean milk cell count of affected quarters fell slowly from 4,850,000/ml in the acute stage to 810,000/ml five months later and 620,000/ml 12 months later, suggesting that the organism persisted in the udder. The estimated mean loss in lactation yield for cows with M smegmatis mastitis was 10.8 per cent. Losses were greatest when the hind quarters were involved (mean 28 per cent for cows with both hind quarters affected). Ten of the 16 affected cows were ultimately culled owing to serious reductions in yield.     

Prevalence of subclinical mastitis and isolated udder pathogens in dairy cows in Southern Vietnam

Dairy production is not traditional in Vietnam. The farmers have little practical knowledge and udder health control is generally lacking. In order to give the farmers appropriate advice, knowledge about the distribution of udder pathogens is crucial. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis and to identify udder pathogens isolated from smallholder dairy herds in Southern Vietnam. Twenty farms with a herd somatic cell count (SCC) ranging from low (≤400?×?10³?cells/mL) to high (>400?×?10³?cells/mL) were randomly selected. Milk samples were collected from 458 quarters of 115 clinically healthy cows. SCC was analyzed on farm by a portable cell counter. Bacteriological samples were taken using Mastistrip^© cassettes and sent to Sweden for examination. For all herds the mean herd SCC was 632?×?10³/mL milk. The prevalence of subclinical mastitis at quarter SCC basis was 63.2 % and at cow basis 88.6 %. Only 40 % of all cows were bacteriologically negative in all quarters. Streptococcus agalactiae was the most commonly found bacteria species, isolated from 96 of the 458 quarter samples, in 13 of the 20 farms. The results indicate pronounced subclinical mastitis problems among the dairy cows in this region mainly due to infections with S. agalactiae. The high prevalence of this highly contagious pathogen is probably attributable to the generally poor milking hygiene and low awareness of proper measures to prevent occurrence and spread of udder infections. A strict, targeted action program for the herds in this area is required in order to lower the prevalence of subclinical mastitis.     

Lactoferrin Concentration in Milk of Bovine Clinical Mastitis

The lactoferrin (LF) concentration in the milk from dairy cows with clinical mastitis was determined to evaluate the relationship between the LF concentration (LFC) in milk and the non-specific defensive capability of the udder. The mean LFC in 368 milk samples from 319 cows with clinical mastitis was significantly higher (p<0.01) than that of normal cows. The mean LFC in milk from quarters infected with Mycoplasma bovis or Staphylococcus aureus was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of quarters infected with coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). In Escherichia coli mastitis, the level of LFC in milk from cows with peracute mastitis was significantly lower (p<0.01) than that from cows with acute mastitis. In cases of mastitis due to E. coli, the mean LFC in milk from cows that needed more than 10 days to recover from the mastitis or were not cured was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that for cows which took less than 10 days to be cured. The mean LFC in milk from cows with peracute E. coli mastitis was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that for cows with mastitis associated with environmental streptococci or CNS, although these low LF levels were somewhat increased after 46 h from the occurrence of mastitis. These results suggest that the decreased levels of LF in peracute E. coli mastitis may be associated with the progress of inflammation in the early phase of mastitis.     

Acute phase response in dairy cows with experimentally induced Escherichia coli mastitis.

Six Finnish Ayrshire cows were challenged intramammarily with 1500 CFU of Escherichia coli (E. coli) into single udder quarters, and the challenge was repeated into contralateral quarters 3 weeks later. All cows received flunixine meglumine once, and 3 of them were also treated with enrofloxacin. At the 2nd challenge, treatments were changed vice versa. The development of mastitis was followed by monitoring of systemic and local clinical signs, and with serial milk and serum samples. Intramammary challenge with E. coli produced clinical mastitis in all cows, the severity of the disease varying greatly between the animals. No significant changes between the 2 treatment regimens or sequent challenges were found for any of the clinical parameters. The response of each cow followed the same pattern after both challenges; three of the cows became mildly and the other 3 either moderately or severely affected. Two severely affected cows had to be euthanized because of severe mastitis. Serum haptoglobin and amyloid-A concentrations peaked 2-3 days after bacterial challenge. Serum haptoglobin did not correlate with the severity of the disease. Serum amyloid-A rose gradually in the severely affected cows, and significant differences were found between severely versus moderately or mildly affected cows at day 4. Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha concentrations increased only in the severely affected cows. Serum cortisol response was prolonged in the severely diseased animals, and was significantly lower after the second challenge. Serum nitrite/nitrate concentration increased in the severely affected cows. This indicated excess nitric oxide production during acute E. coli mastitis. Strongly decreased milk production, and high bacterial growth in the infected quarters were best predictors for the outcome from acute E. coli mastitis.     

The potential of measuring serum amyloid A in individual ewe milk and in farm bulk milk for monitoring udder health on sheep dairy farms

The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic value of measuring serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations in milk of individual ewes and in farm bulk milk for monitoring udder health. Udder health was calculated by examining a randomly selected group of seven flocks at each farm visit by means of California mastitis test and bacteriological examination of 5749 milk samples. SAA was determined additionally in 267 randomly selected milk samples from six flocks. Thirty-one bulk milk samples from these farms were tested for SCC and SAA levels. Subclinical infections were detected in 29.5% of samples whereas no clinical infections were observed. Intramammary infected udder halves showed significantly elevated SAA concentrations (121.3+/-25.3 microg/ml) in milk compared to the levels of healthy udder halves (8.0+/-1.9 microg/ml; p<0.001). SAA was significantly elevated in sheep with elevated CMT scores and positive bacteriological results. Bulk milk SAA levels ranged from 18.6+/-6.7 to 37.4+/-14.1 microg/ml and showed a positive correlation with bSCC (r=0.38, p=0.018) but not with percent infected glands (r=0.022, p=0.453). This study demonstrated that SAA levels in milk can be used to detect subclinical mastitis in individual ewes whereas further investigations are needed to determine the value of measuring SAA in bulk milk for monitoring flock udder health.     

Yeasts and algae isolated from cows with mastitis in the south-eastern part of Poland

The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of mycotic and protohecal mastitis in herds in south-eastern part of Poland. A total of 3091 milk samples from udder quarters with clinical and subclinical mastitis from 29 dairy herds was investigated in this survey. Milk samples were plated as soon as possible on blood agar (BA), Mac Conkey agar, aesculin-tallium acetate-crystal violet agar, and Sabouraud agar. A hundred and thirty one yeast (4.23%) and eleven Protoheca zopfii (0.35%) strains were isolated from cows with clinical and subclinical mastitis. All the isolated fungi were the yeast classified into 4 genera (Candida, Trichosporon, Saccharomyces and Rhodotorula). The most frequently isolated yeasts were Candida sp., C. kefyr, C. humicola, C. rugosa and C. inconspicua. Both fungi and algae were isolated first of all during a confinement-housing season.     

Innate immune response in experimentally induced bovine intramammary infection with Staphylococcus simulans and S. epidermidis

ABSTRACT: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are in several countries the most common bacteria isolated in subclinical mastitis. To investigate the innate immune response of cows to infections with two common mastitis-causing CNS species, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus simulans, experimental intramammary infection was induced in eight cows using a crossover design. The milk somatic cell count (SCC), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) activity, milk amyloid A (MAA), serum amyloid A (SAA) and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were determined at several time points before and after challenge. All cows became infected and showed mild to moderate clinical signs of mastitis. The spontaneous elimination rate of the 16 infections was 31.3%, with no difference between species. Infections triggered a local cytokine response in the experimental udder quarters, but cytokines were not detected in the uninfected control quarters or in systemic circulation. The innate local immune response for S. simulans was slightly stronger, with significantly higher concentrations of IL-1β and IL-8. The IL-8 response could be divided into early, delayed, or combined types of response. The CNS species or persistency of infection was not associated with the type of IL-8 response. No significant differences were seen between spontaneously eliminated or persistent infections.     

Intramammary infusion of beta1,3-glucan for prevention and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis

Udder health problems associated with Staphylococcus aureus infections in dairy cows are difficult to control and antibiotics have limited effects. Lately, more interest has been directed towards ways to stimulate the innate immune mechanisms of the animal for better prevention and treatment of mastitis. The objectives of this study were to investigate if intramammary infusion at drying off with the immune modulator beta1,3-glucan can make the udder more resistant to experimental intra mammary S. aureus infection at this time, and to study if intramammary infusion of beta1,3-glucan into lactating udder quarters with chronic subclinical S. aureus infection can stimulate the clearing of the infection. Another aim was to evaluate the effect of beta1,3-glucan on the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC class II) on mammary leucocytes, measured by flow cytometry, during these circumstances. The results indicated a slight, but not statistically significant, positive effect of beta1,3-glucan at drying off on the clinical and anti-bacterial response to S. aureus infection, but no therapeutic effect of beta1,3-glucan treatment of udder quarters with chronic subclinical S. aureus mastitis. However, the proportion of MHCII+ milk lymphocytes tended to increase after glucan infusion in those udder quarters indicating a stimulation of the antigen presenting ability. To further evaluate a possible preventive effect of beta1,3-glucan infusion at drying off more studies are needed involving a larger number of animals.     

凉州区奶牛乳房炎主要病原分离鉴定及药敏试验

乳房炎是奶牛最常见的疾病,随着奶牛产业的蓬勃发展,乳房炎已经成为制约该产业的瓶颈之一。从甘肃省武威市凉州区5个奶牛养殖场采集了1 000头荷斯坦奶牛共计3 991份奶样,对临床型和非临床型(隐性)乳房炎分别通过临床症状和兰州隐性乳房炎诊断液(LMT)进行诊断。结果显示:该地区奶牛临床型乳房炎发病率18.20%,亚临床型乳房炎发病率36.50%,总阳性率54.70%,总阳性乳区率54.72%。从阳性奶样中分离纯化得到的主要病原菌为链球菌属、金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌,且在不同类型乳房炎中的分布情况不同,临床型中链球菌属最多(54.37%),亚临床型中金黄色葡萄球菌最多(48.56%)。对主要病原菌进行药敏试验,结果表明治疗凉州区奶牛乳房炎的最佳药物应为喹诺酮类和庆大霉素类。     

Intramammary antibiotics with complementary acupuncture decreases milk serum N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase concentrations in dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis

The objective of this research is to determine whether intramammary antibiotics with complementary acupuncture can reduce bovine mammary inflammation due to subclinical mastitis. Lactating cows were selected based on milk with a somatic cell count (SCC) greater than 500,000 cells/ml. Pre- and post-treatment milk samples were collected to determine SCC, aerobic bacterial content, milk ion conductivity, total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) concentrations. Milk serum was prepared from milk samples by double centrifugation. Concentrations of LDH and NAGase were determined using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Cows being treated with intramammary antibiotics were separated by random assignment to the acupuncture group (n = 10) and a no-acupuncture (control) group (n = 9). Both the acupuncture and control group were restrained for 30 min in a head catch 12 hr apart for a total of four times. For front quarters affected by subclinical mastitis, the acupuncture points used were spleen (SP) 12, SP 17, SP 18, SP 21, stomach (ST) 18 and conception vessel (CV) 12. For rear quarters affected by subclinical mastitis, the acupuncture points used were bladder (BL) 30, BL 30-1, BL 49, kidney (KI) 10, conception vessel (CV) 2 and CV 3. All parameters were compared using a Student t test. Significance was defined as p < .05. Compared to control cows, complementary acupuncture treatment reduced NAGase enzymatic activity in quarters of cows with subclinical mastitis. The reduction in NAGase suggests that complementary acupuncture treatment may be associated with healing of the damaged mammary epithelial cells, which are the primary source of NAGase activity in milk serum.     

Risk factors associated with bacteriological cure, new infection, and incidence of clinical mastitis after dry cow therapy with three different antibiotics

Factors affecting bacteriological cure rates (BCR) and new intramammary infections (IMI) during the dry period as well as clinical mastitis (CM) during early lactation were investigated in 414 German Holstein dairy cows receiving dry cow therapy. Cows were treated with either benethamine benzylpenicillin (300,000 IU), penethamate hydriodide (100,000 IU), and framycetin sulphate (100 mg, n = 136), or cefquinome (150 mg, n = 135), or benzathine cloxacillin (1,280 mg, n = 143). Overall BCR, IMI, and CM at parturition were 86.4%, 20.7%, and 4.3%, respectively. The three antibiotic treatments differed only in BCR, with cloxacillin yielding better results than the others. Udder quarters from cows with > 4 lactations had a higher risk of IMI and CM at calving. Chronic changes in udder tissues were linked to a lower BCR and were associated with a higher risk of CM during early lactation. The risk of CM at calving was higher in udder quarters with unspecific or subclinical mastitis before drying off. In conclusion, with antibiotic dry cow therapy, age and health status of the udder appear to be major determinants of IMI and CM during the dry period and early lactation, while BCR was associated with the antibiotic type and udder tissue status.     

The interrelationships between milkability traits and subclinical mastitis in cows

The investigation was conducted during 2005-2006 on 4010 dairy cows. Having performed statistical data analysis, we determined that the lowest somatic cell count (SCC) in Red and Red-White cow population was obtained when the milking time was 5-6 min., milking speed was higher than 1.5 kg/min., high milk flow was from 2.51 to 4 kg/min., and in Black-White cow population having a milking time was higher than 7 min., milking speed was from 1.01 to 2 kg/min., a high milk flow --from 2.01 to 4 kg/min. (p<0.001). In Red and Red-White cow population with subclinical mastitis, milking time was longer and milking speed was slower than in healthy cows. High milk flow values were least in healthy Black-White cow population. This determines a more equal milk flow which is desired in milking cows mechanically. Most sensitive to udder infection are 1st lactation cows which have a higher milk flow. A larger phenotype correlation coefficient in Red and Red-White cow population was between the SCC and milking time (-0.089, p<0.01) and between high milk flow (0.086, p<0.01) and milk yield (-0.071, p<0.05). However in Black-White cow population, correlation was found between SCC and milk yield (-0.117, p<0.01) and milking speed (-0.110, p<0.01). Contagious mastitis pathogens were identified in Red and Red-White cow milk samples primarily from productive cows having a milking speed of 1.01-1.5 kg/min., and in Black-White cow population having a milking speed of 1.51-2.0 kg/min.