Dairy Resources - Udder Health

November 2018

ABSTRACT:

Clinical mastitis caused by Klebsiella spp. is an emerging problem in the US dairy industry and results in a high degree of financial losses to dairy workers. This study was conducted as a randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled efficacy study of a Klebsiella pneumoniae siderophore receptor protein (SRP) vaccine (Kleb-SRP), with a total of 569 cows and heifers enrolled. The study was designed to look at vaccine effect on Klebsiella mastitis; however, the SRP in Klebsiella are highly conserved across coliform bacteria, which means that the vaccine has potential for cross-protection against all coliforms. Cows were paired based on parity, days in milk at enrollment, and somatic cell count. Within pairs, individuals were randomized to receive either Kleb-SRP or a placebo formulation. Following vaccination, the incidence of Klebsiella spp. and total coliform mastitis from natural exposure were compared to determine the efficacy of the vaccine. When analyzing all cows, the reduction of mastitis risk was not significant, though milk production increased 0.31 kg/d and somatic cell counts were reduced by 20.1%. When administered before calving, the vaccine reduced the risk of Klebsiella and total coliform mastitis by 76.9 and 47.5% respectively; however, we observed no significant effect when administered after calving. The vaccine, when administered before calving, also increased milk production by an average of 1.74 kg/d and reduced somatic cell counts by 64.8%. When administered after calving, we noted a slight decrease in daily milk production (0.39 kg) but no significant effect on somatic cell counts. All cows in the study (including vaccinates and placebo) received multiple doses of a commercially available licensed Escherichia coli bacterin. It should be noted that this herd was chosen because of the high number of clinical Klebsiella clinical mastitis cases this herd experienced before the trial and the extreme environmental challenge that was present from bedding with dried manure solids. The data from this study demonstrate efficacy of the Kleb-SRP vaccine against Klebsiella mastitis alone and coliform mastitis in general (including all coliforms) when administered before the initiation of a lactation cycle.

Click here to read the full article.

P.J. Gorden, M.D. Kleinhenz, J.A. Ydstie, T.A. Brick, L.M. Slinden, M.P. Peterson, D.E. Straub, D.T. Burkhardt
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-14267

July 2019

Steve Whitesides dairy. ( Lindsey Benne )

Somatic cell counts are a long-standing marker of milk quality, impacting shelf life and flavor. A lower SCC is better for cheese production and gives a longer shelf life for bottled milk.

The national maximum SCC level is 750,000 cells per milliliter per farm for domestic sales and 400,000 cells per milliliter for exports.

Although somatic cells occur naturally and are not a food safety concern, dairy farmers monitor them because they can be used as a measure of the health of their cows. Processors also pay a premium for milk with low counts. A farmer whose herd has a very low count can receive a significantly higher price per hundredweight compared to a farmer whose herd average is high.

In Minnesota, dairies can receive penalties up to $2.00 per hundredweight for high cell counts. In a time when farmers can’t afford to take any reduction in their milk price, it is important to take steps to avoid any penalties from your milk plant.

There are some simple and practical steps you can take that can help lower somatic cell counts on your farm.

April 2019

Heins Family Farms in Higginsville, MO. ( Wyatt Bechtel )

April showers bring May flowers, but it can also bring mastitis and a sudden increase in somatic cell count (SCC) levels.

November 2018

Selective dry cow therapy is based on only using intramammary antibiotics at dry-off to treat those cows that have been identified with previous or current intramammary infections. The methods used to identify cows to treat (or not) include 1) reviewing histories for previous episodes of clinical mastitis or high somatic cell counts (SCC), 2) performing individual quarter SCC tests at the time of dry-off, or 3) identifying active intramammary infections through the use of bacteriologic culture or molecular diagnostics such as PCR. However, as Dairy Herd Management said in March of this year, the jury is still out regarding the use of selective dry cow therapy. Well-managed herds may be able to employ a successful selective dry cow therapy program, but there remain reasons for dairies to consider the use of blanket therapy to cure existing and new intramammary infections.

October 2018

For the first time, the average annual weighted somatic cell count in the Upper Midwest Federal Milk Marketing Order has dropped below 200,000 cell/mL.

September 2018

The Lactococcus infections might not respond to most forms of antibiotic therapy. ( Farm Journal, Inc. )

A relatively new form of mastitis caused by Lactococcus bacteria is occurring more frequently, and because it is resistant to several types of commonly used antibiotics, it can be difficult to control and contain.

September, 2018

Economic losses from clinical mastitis ( Boehringer Ingelheim )

The dairy industry continues its struggle to control coliform mastitis, which was found to be the source of up to 50 percent of mastitis infections on U.S. dairy herds in 2017. The consequences can be devastating, with research indicating a cost of $444 per clinical case of mastitis during the first 30 days in milk.

July, 2018

Dairy producers and veterinarians now have another tool in the prevention and reduction in antibiotic use with the debut of the first vaccine licensed for dairy cattle to prevent mastitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. AgriLabs announced on July 23 that KLEBVax SRP was now available on the market.

November 14, 2017

Linda Tikofsky, senior associate director of dairy professional veterinary services with Boehringer Ingelheim, offers recommendations for using cultures to identify and treat mastitis based on the pathogen.