Two plans: one to decrease the rate of new mastitis infections and another to increase the cure rate of existing infections.

Two plans: one to decrease the rate of new mastitis infections and another to increase the cure rate of existing infections.

Mastitis causes multiple economic losses, and prevention is the best investment. This disease, highly prevalent in dairy cattle, is one of the most significant diseases affecting the dairy industry worldwide, causing substantial economic losses to all producers due to decreased milk yield and an increased number of clinical treatments and early culling of cows.
Each dairy herd with mastitis and milk quality problems should understand its causes, which would solve most of their issues. Raising awareness of this is important because it provokes the challenge of seeking the reasons or causes. The dairy producer and acting advisors must form a team to find the origin and offer solutions according to the production system in place.

Plans and measures for mastitis control

The establishment of plans for mastitis control has an important milestone in the declaration of the well-known five-point plan for bovine mastitis control.
This plan was the first standardized way to apply preventive measures for mastitis and succeeded in reducing the prevalence of contagious pathogens (Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus).

Today, these plans have been modified, adopting greater prevention measures and also plans to increase the cure of existing cases. An example of the two plans to follow is the following:

Plan 1. Decrease the rate of new infections

1. Correct functioning and operation of the milking equipment. Vacuum levels in the milking unit should fluctuate as little as possible. Fluctuations can be considerably reduced by avoiding air leaks or slippage of the unit during milking, and by cutting off the vacuum of the unit before the liners are removed. The vacuum regulator should be kept clean, and its accuracy should be monitored regularly. Liners should be changed regularly (2500 to 5000 milkings depending on their material).
2. Physiological and hygienic milking routine. Teats should be cleaned and dried before milking. If the milk is filtered, the presence of particles (solid material) in the filters indicates insufficient cleaning of the teat during udder preparation or a lack of hygiene during the placement and removal of the milking unit.
3. Use of post-milking teat antiseptics. Research indicates that the rate of new infections can decrease by more than 50% when a suitable antiseptic is used to dip or spray the teats completely. Post-milking teat sealing is most effective against S. aureus and S. agalactiae, the two most contagious mastitis-producing bacteria.
4. Environmental management of cows between milkings.
5. Washing and disinfection of milking and cooling equipment.
6. Dry cow antibiotic therapy. The effective use of a long-term antibiotic placed in each quarter of the udder at the last milking of lactation reduces the incidence of new infections during the dry period.
7. Possible use of vaccines for E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Plan 2. Increase the cure rate of existing infections

1. Good detection and rapid and appropriate treatment of clinical cases.
2. Registration and culling of chronic cases. Generally, this method is effective because, in most herds, only 6 to 8% of all cows are responsible for 40 to 50% of all mastitis cases.
3. Dry cow antibiotic therapy. Dry cow therapy is the best way to cure chronic and subclinical mastitis that is very rarely treated during lactation.
4. Possibility of treatments during lactation of subclinically infected quarters by Streptococcus agalactiae, after a bacteriological analysis of animals with persistent high SCC/ml. The cost/benefit ratio of treating subclinical Staphylococus aureus infections during lactation is not economically viable in most cases.

The implementation of all these guidelines aims to control mastitis from various causes. It is especially important to establish what type of mastitis and bacteria are affecting the cattle and establishment.
The type of mastitis and its causative bacteria can be determined by culturing milk from cooling tanks in dairy herds and also based on culturing individual samples from mastitis cases. The data obtained from the cultures help establish a priority in the application of mastitis control measures.
The importance of applying mastitis prevention and control measures to increase our production and, therefore, the profitability of our establishments.

Diego J. González

Veterinarian, Technical Manager Weizur Laboratory