title: Effective treatment of Streptococcus uberis clinical mastitis to minimize the use of antibiotics.
abstract: Antibiotic regimens (intramammary antibiotic, penicillin-based parenteral treatment) and intramuscular oxytocin were tested for effectiveness against experimental infection by Streptococcus uberis with the following results from 54 animals: a) no treatment led to deterioration of infected quarters, requiring intervention within 48 h for cow health; b) aggressive intramammary antibiotic at every milking achieved 70% clinical cure in 3 d and 100% cure within 6 d; overall bacteriological cure was 80%; c) parenteral treatment alone used about 14 times as much antibiotic with 18% clinical cure in 3 d and 91% within 6 d; overall bacteriological cure was 80%; d) combination of aggressive intramammary and parenteral treatments achieved 61% clinical cure in 3 d and 100% within 6 d; overall bacteriological cure was 72%; e) intramammary antibiotic at labeled rates (1x for 3 d) achieved 27% clinical cure in 3 d but 91% within 6 d of treatment; overall bacteriological cure was 64%; f) use of oxytocin alone for 3 d failed to achieve clinical improvement with an increase in the severity of mastitis; g) combining oxytocin with labeled use of intramammary antibiotic (1x for 3 d) was unsuccessful: 0% clinical cures in 3 d, 10% in 6 d; significantly poorer than intramammary antibiotic alone. Extended treatment periods with parenteral or intramammary antibiotics resulted in positive inhibitory tests for milk from individual quarters up to 8 d after treatment. Aggressive intramammary antibiotic was the most effective treatment for fastest cure clinically and bacteriologically using least antibiotic.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Health, Compton, United Kingdom. eric.hillerton@bbsrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: J Eric
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hillerton
authors.forename: Kirsty E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Kliem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002417:Cattle; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010121:Oxytocin