PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶


Tackling mastitis the right way


Mastitis is considered to be one of the most costly dairy cattle diseases, making it highly relevant to dairy farmers. The economic impact of poor udder health cannot be underestimated.


BY DR HELEN WARREN, EUROPEAN TECHNICAL MANAGER FOR RUMINANTS AT ALLTECH


M


Selenium is the best-studied mineral with re- gards to masti- tis. It is involved in both the anti- oxidant and im- mune systems, and seleni- um-deficient an- imals have been shown to have lowered immu- nity and resist- ance to disease.


14


astitis is also one of the most common reasons for cows to be removed from the herd. To put this into context, an increase of 100,000 in the milk tank somatic cell count (SCC) equates to


a loss of nearly one litre of milk per cow per day. The finan- cial loss per case of mastitis can be up to € 150, with milk loss and replacement making up the majority of the cost (Schroeder, 1997).


Often, mastitis-associated losses are underestimated due to their non-definitive – and often non-clinical – symptoms, such as reduced milk production. Multiple factors contribute to mastitis and elevated SCC, ranging from environmental issues to the milking procedure to poor immune system function. Unfortunately, there is no magical solution that will prevent mastitis problems on-farm.


Causes of mastitis Causes of mastitis vary from infection to physical trauma. The leading cause of mastitis is bacteria. Yeasts and moulds are sometimes implicated but account for only about 1% of cases. Infectious organisms invade the udder via the teat


canal, migrating up through it and colonising the secretory cells. These organisms can produce toxins that damage the milk-producing tissues, which reduces their ability to produce milk. The extent of colonisation depends largely on the cow’s own immune system. The animal’s white blood cells infiltrate the mammary gland and engulf the bacteria, which causes a rise in the SCC. The bacteria can originate from already-in- fected udders, the environment (including bedding, water and manure) and replacement animals coming onto the farm. Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and coliforms are the main culprits for mastitis, resulting in both subclinical and clinical mastitis. For example, Staph. aureus is responsible for so-called “summer mastitis”. Mastitis passed from one cow to another is often termed as contiguous mastitis. Subclinical mastitis usually results from infection from the environment. Interestingly, the primary time for animals to become in- fected is during the dry period, making adequate dry cow management essential for minimising risk.


The aim of good management is to improve the cow’s own resistance to infection. The first defence is the skin of the ud- der. Promoting udder and teat integrity by ensuring good hy- giene during and after milking (e.g. teat dip or spray), correct functioning of the milking machine (e.g. not leaving the clus- ters on for longer than necessary) and cleaning udders goes a long way towards reducing the risk of infection. Hygiene and udder scoring are good, practical ways to assess cleanliness, as animals with poor scores can be 1.5 times more likely to have major pathogens isolated from milk samples compared with cleaner animals (Schreiner et al., 2003). Vaccinations are available against certain bacteria (e.g. coliforms). However, the cow’s own immune system is the best vaccination, and proper nutritional management can enhance the response to infection. An optimal supply of minerals and vitamins, as well as taking steps to minimise negative energy balance post-calving, are essential. Producers are encouraged to have a mastitis control plan that includes key areas of manage- ment that will be implemented to reduce the risk of mastitis.


• Individual cow milk recording: This is the most crucial part of any mastitis programme. Individual cow milk recording enables you to monitor the SCC of each cow over the course of the lactation. This information then allows you to identify cows with higher than average SCC and whether they are


▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 8, No. 1, 2021


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


PHOTO: ALLTECH


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36