Prevalence and species distribution of yeast in mammary glands of dairy cows in Minnesota.
A study of the prevalence of yeast-like fungi in the mammary glands of dairy cattle was conducted in Minnesota. Quarter samples from 6,020 cows were cultured for yeast. Growth of organisms was obtained from 3.2% of the quarter milk samples. The rate of yeast infection for Minnesota dairy cattle in this study was 2.0%. The majority of the yeast isolated belonged to one of four species of the Candida genus. Candida krusei, Candida parakrusei, Candida guilliermundi, and Candida tropicalis, comprised 89% of the yeasts isolated. All of these species have been reported to cause clinical mastitis (1, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16). It would appear that yeast-like fungi are of sufficient prevalence in mammary glands that yeast infection would be considered in the differential diagnosis in cases of clinical mastitis.
D000818:Animals; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000209:etiology*