Bovine Mastitis: An Overview of this Common Dairy Cattle Disease
Bovine Mastitis refers to inflammation of the mammary gland in dairy cattle, commonly caused by bacterial infections. The mammary gland, which produces and stores milk, can become infected when bacteria enter through the teat canal.
Causes of Bovine Mastitis
The most common causes of mastitis in dairy cows are contagious pathogens that can be transmitted from cow to cow, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae. Environmental mastitis pathogens typically enter the teat canal when the cow's immunity is compromised, like during the calving process. Some key environmental mastitis causing bacteria include:
- Escherichia coli: An environmental pathogen often associated with inadequate hygiene during the milking process. E. coli lives in the intestinal tract of cows and other animals.
- Klebsiella species: Gram-negative bacteria commonly found in bedding materials like sand or peat moss. They can cause acute, often fatal mastitis cases.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Ubiquitous environmental bacteria that may enter through injury to the teat or use of contaminated equipment during milking.
Clinical Signs of Bovine Mastitis
The signs of mastitis can vary depending on whether the infection causes an acute or chronic response in the udder. Common clinical signs dairy farmers observe include:
- Abnormal milk: Mastitic milk may appear stringy, clotted, watery, bloody or contain flakes or granules.
- Swelling of the udder: Infected quarters become firm, hot and painful when touched.
- Loss of appetite: Affected cows may appear ill, with a depressed attitude and reduced feed intake.
- Decreased milk production: Mastitis lowers milk yield from the infected quarter(s) and the overall lactation.
- High somatic cell counts: As white blood cells migrate to the udder to fight infection, SCC levels in milk rise.
Diagnosis and Treatment for Bovine Mastitis
Diagnosis involves examining milk for abnormalities, testing somatic cell counts (SCC), and in some cases culturing milk to identify the causal bacteria. Treatment typically involves intramammary infusion of antibiotic in the affected quarter(s). Anti-inflammatory drugs may also help reduce swelling and fever.
For chronic or recurring cases, veterinary support is advised to design an appropriate treatment plan. Culling of chronically infected cows may be necessary to prevent spread and financial losses to the herd/dairy operation.
Prevention is Better than Cure
Given the costs of Bovine Mastitis to dairies, prevention through proper management is far better than treatment alone. Key preventive measures include:
- Sanitation: Clean equipment, floors, cow premises and udder/teats before milking to minimize pathogen exposure.
- Dry cow therapy: Protecting udders during the non-lactating period using internal teat sealants or antibiotics.
- Teat dipping: Applying an iodine or other post-milking teat dip helps plug the teat orifice and kill surface bacteria.
- Emollient therapy/udders: Keeping udders clean and dry through proper bedding management, removal of mud/manure and treatment of injuries.
- Milking hygiene: Maintaining milking machine vacuum levels, dry and clean cow preparation before milking, and prompt treatment of any mastitic cows.
- Calving area hygiene: Proper sanitation and segregation of fresh cows reduces new infection risks at a vulnerable time.
- Herd health plans: Routine screening for subclinical infections, treating new cases promptly and culling chronic cows can optimize udder health cost-effectively on dairy operations.
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