Bacterial cure and somatic cell count response of dairy cows with a positive California Mastitis Test at calving to therapy with cephapirin sodium

Cows without signs of clinical mastitis were evaluated by the California Mastitis Test at calving (Day 0). Milk samples from 117 of 184 quarters (64 cows) were positive by this test for mastitis and were submitted for bacterial culture and determination of somatic cell counts. Cows with infected quarters were randomly allocated to treatment with cephapirin sodium by intramammary infusion or to be untreated as controls. Two and 4 weeks following calving, milk was again sampled from the infected quarters and tested. By the 4-week evaluation, the quarters treated with cephapirin sodium had significantly (P < or = .05) fewer positive bacterial cultures and somatic cell counts were significantly (P < or =.05) reduced compared with untreated control quarters.