Treatment of persistent intramammary infections with Streptococcus uberis in dairy cows

Milne, M.H., Biggs, A.M., Barrett, D.C., Young, F.J., Doherty, S., Innocent, G.T. and Fitzpatrick, J.L. (2005) Treatment of persistent intramammary infections with Streptococcus uberis in dairy cows. Veterinary Record, 157(9), pp. 245-250. (doi: 10.1136/vr.157.9.245) (PMID:16127133)

Abstract

<p>A survey was conducted of the prevalence of environmental pathogens, especially <i>Streptococcus uberis</i>, as causes of clinical mastitis in dairy cows. The response of intramammary infections with <i>S uberis</i> to conventional treatment was monitored by taking milk samples for bacteriology and somatic cell counting seven, 14 and 21 days after the treatment. The results showed that 51 per cent of the infections failed to respond, and the odds of cases failing to respond was significantly increased when the individual quarter somatic cell count seven days after the treatment was greater than 201,000 cells/ml. Ninety-six per cent of the suspected <i>S uberis</i> isolates identified by culture were confirmed as <i>S uberis</i> by using the API 20 Strep system. Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting was used to type the strains of <i>S uberis</i> isolated from 75 milk samples from 32 cows. Analysis showed that 96 per cent of the cases of <i>S uberis</i> that failed to respond to conventional treatment were persistent infections with one strain rather than reinfections with different strains. The persistent cases of <i>S uberis</i> were treated further with an extended course of intramammary preparations containing either procaine penicillin with dihydrostreptomycin or cefquinome. There was no significant difference between the cure rates achieved by the two preparations, and 55 per cent of the cases that had failed to respond to conventional treatment responded to the additional treatment.</p>

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Barrett, Mr David and Fitzpatrick, Prof Julie
• Authors: Milne, M.H., Biggs, A.M., Barrett, D.C., Young, F.J., Doherty, S., Innocent, G.T., and Fitzpatrick, J.L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Veterinary Record
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• ISSN: 0042-4900
• ISSN (Online): 2042-7670