Mastitis

• Inflammation of the mammary gland

• infection or injury

• Important

• reduced milk yield

• increased culling

• treatment cost & un-salable milk

• lower milk quality

Mastitis

• Clinical

• acute or chronic

• abnormal milk, udder &/or cow appearance

• Subclinical

• can not detect by appearance

• somatic cells - epithelial cells & leukocytes

Milk Yield and SCCLact. Ave. Lact. Ave. Difference in yield (305d)

SCS SCC (1000/ml) Lact. 1 Lact. >1

0 12.5 - -

1 25 - -

2 50 - -

3 100 -200 -400

4 200 -400 -800

5 400 -600 -1200

6 800 -800 -1600

7 1600 -1000 -2000

Mastitis

• Contagious bacteria

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Streptococcus agalactiae

• Corynebacterium bovis

Mastitis

• Environmental bacteria• Escherichia coli• Klebsiella species• Citrobacter species• Enterobacter species• Streptococcus uberis, dysgalactiae,

equinus, & many others• Enterococcus faecalis & faecium

Mastitis

• Other mastitis pathogens

• Coagulase neg. staphylococci

• Pseudomonads

• Yeasts

• Mycoplasma species

Likelihood of New Infection

• Intensity of teat end exposure to pathogens (pathogen load)

• Likelihood of pathogens gaining entry to mammary gland

• Ability of pathogens to grow in mammary gland & survive host defense systems

Liner slip & Mastitis

0

10

20

30

40

Clinical Subclinical

High slip

Low slip

Air

Air - when liner slips

Air Air

Impacts

Droplet Impacts

Correlations between Udder Morphology & Liner SlipsCharacteristic Correlation

Front udder height -.23

Rear udder height -.28

Udder levelness .25

Front teat distance - before milking .44

Rear teat distance - before milking .34

Milking Speed & Mastitis (Phenotypic Relationship)

Slow Average flow rate Fast

Like

lihoo

d of

Mas

titis

Rates of New Infection by Stage of Lactation

Dry Calving Lactation Dry off

Immune suppressionRat

es o

f N

ew I

n fec

tion

Why New Infections Near Calving?

• Physiological stress associated with parturition

• Reduced concentration of nonspecific immune factors in secretions

• Edema & leaking of milk

• Components of colostrum that interfere with leukocyte function

Why New Infections at Beginning of Dry Period?

• Flushing of teat & ducts is terminated

• Increased udder pressure & leakage of milk

• Teat dipping & cleaning stopped

• Phagocyte function (immune cells) is impaired

Why Few New Infections During Middle of Dry Period?

• Low stress

• Decreased intramammary pressure

• Keratin plug

• Increased leukocyte concentration

• Increased concentrations of nonspecific immune factors (lactoferrin)

Exposure to Pathogens

• Contagious pathogens

• Reservoir - infected glands

• Milking equipment, hands, hygiene practices, teat conditions

• Environmental pathogens

• Exposure to teat surface is mostly between milkings

Detection & Diagnosis of Mastitis

• Herd level

• SCC

• Conductivity

• Bulk tank cultures

• Herd cultures

Detection & Diagnosis of Mastitis

• Cow level• Physical examination• Appearance of milk• California mastitis test (CMT)• SCC• Conductivity• Antibody tests (Staph. Aureus)• Individual cow/quarter cultures

infected udder

Test tube to aseptically collect samples

Possible infected udder

2 to 3 streams of foremilk

.1 ml sample is drawn

Changes in Milk Composition Associated with Increased SCCConstituent Normal milk High SCC milk

SNF 8.9 8.8

Fat 3.5 3.2

Lactose 4.9 4.4

Total protein 3.6 3.6

Total casein 2.8 2.3

Whey protein .8 1.3

Changes in Milk Composition Associated with Increased SCCConstituent Normal milk High SCC milk

Serum albumin .02 .07

Lactoferrin .02 .10

Immunoglobulins .10 .60

Sodium .057 .105

Chloride .091 .147

Potassium .173 .157

Calcium .12 .04

Control of Mastitis

• Premilking preparation• Cleaning & drying teats

• Limit water & dry - use indiv. towel• Predipping

• Can help with environmental mastitis• Methods?• Hazards?

Control of Mastitis

• Teat dipping (post milking)

• Contagious pathogens mostly (50% reduction in new infections)

• Tested products only (Iodine or Chlorine based)

• Barrier dips

• Hazards/problems?

• Application methods?

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Side spray does NOT cover all of teat touched by liner!!

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Be sure to cover all the teat touched by the liner!!

Teat Dipping Techniques

Cup Dipping

Be sure to cover all the teat touched by the liner!!

Control of Mastitis

• Dry cow therapy• Treat all cows/quarters• Cures existing infections• Decreases new infections at drying off

(Strep. Ag. - not E. coli.)• Does not impact new infections at calving• Hazards/problems?• Application methods?

Partial Insertion

Short cannula Long cannula

Do NOT insert long cannula

all the way into the teat-will cause damage

to keratin

Insert cannula justthrough the streak canal

-further insertion may damage keratin

Control of Mastitis

• Segregation• Sick cows separate & milk last• Select replacements carefully

• Bedding• Clean & dry• Inorganic if possible• Stall design & housing• Bedded packs are a problem

Control of Mastitis

• Nutrition

• Vitamins (E is critical)

• Selenium (recommend .3 ppm)

• Keep cows standing after milking

• Feeding?

Control of Mastitis

• Vaccination

• Stimulate antibodies against mastitis

• Problem - many strains

• Coliform - J5 vaccines

• Reduces number of clinical events & severity (not fewer infections)

• Other vaccines (Staph. Aureus)

Mastitis Therapy

• Antibiotics

• 10-12 over the counter drugs

• 5-6 prescription drugs

• Extra-label use (need Rx)

• Careful with residues (withdrawl)

• Intramammary infusion or under skin

Mastitis Therapy - When & How to Use

• Subclinical mastitis (SCC or conductivity)?

• Clinical mastitis

• Know pathogens involved - critical

• Historical record is critical to success

• Severity is important

Mastitis Therapy - When & How to Use

• Coliform mastitis

• Acute or peracute - vet or intense treatment including fluid & anti-inflammatory

• Mild to moderate - oxytocin & milking

• Antibiotic therapy - not indicated

• Problems/issues?

Mastitis Therapy - When & How to Use

• Staph. aureus

• Antibiotic therapy - try initially

• Problems/issues?

• Strep. agalactiae

• Antibiotic therapy - usually works

• Problems/issues?

Mastitis Therapy - When & How to Use

• Strep. other than Strep. agalactiae

• Antibiotic therapy - usually indicated

• Problems/issues?

• Other species?

Heifer Mastitis

• More prevalent than most people think

• >50% of quarters infected

• Coag. neg. staph.• Strep. other than Strep. Agalactiae

• Staph. Aureus

• Antibiotic therapy before calving?

No. Klebsiella Bacteria per ml of Bedding

Chopped straw

Sawdust

Sand

Limestone

100K

10K

1K

100

Straw

Sawdust

Corncobs

Limestone

Sand

No. Coliform Bacteria per ml of Bedding

10m

1m

100K

10K

100

Blood agar plate

Sample is smeared on a blood agar plate

Blood agar plate 1 per quarter

Mastitis-causing bacteria colonies

Streptococcus

Staphylococcus Aureus

Coliforms, and other gram negative

organisms

Control of Mastitis

• Backflushing

• Contagious pathogens

• Necessary?

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Be sure to cover all the teat touched by the liner!!

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Teat Dipping Techniques

Spraying

Teat Dipping Techniques

Cup Dipping

Teat Dipping Techniques

Cup Dipping

Teat Dipping Techniques

Cup Dipping

Teat Dipping Techniques

Cup Dipping

Teat Dipping Techniques

Cup Dipping

Be sure to cover all the teat touched by the liner!!

Streak canal

Sphincter muscle

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/milkquality/ch3/images/plate-cooler_lg.jpg

Detacher Setting Flow Rates & Left Over Milk

0

0.5

1

1.5

.5 lbs./min

2.0 lbs./min

Left

Ove

r M

ilk in

lbs.