title: Use of on-farm data to guide treatment and control mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis.
abstract: Treatment of mastitis is the most common reason for use of antimicrobial agents in dairy cattle. The responsible use of antimicrobials could be strengthened by knowledge of predictors for cure, which would help to tailor treatment decisions. Ideally, to allow for widespread uptake, this would be achieved using data that are routinely available. To assess whether this is feasible in practice, farmers were invited to submit milk samples from mastitis cases to their veterinary practice for bacteriological culture. Among 624 culture-positive samples, 251 were positive for Streptococcus uberis. Using cow-level data, cases were classified as severe, first nonsevere, repeat, or subclinical. Additional data were collected at the cow level [somatic cell count (SCC), parity, lactation stage, milk yield, fat and protein contents, treatment] and at the herd level (housing, bedding, premilking teat disinfection, postmilking teat disinfection). Severe cases were overrepresented among heifers and animals in early lactation, and repeat cases were overrepresented in cows with 3 or more lactations. The probability of cure was higher among first- and second-parity animals than among older cows, and was higher in animals with a single elevated cow-level SCC than in animals with multiple high SCC records. Results obtained in the current study are similar to those previously described for Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. Thus, routinely available cow-level information can help to predict the outcome of antimicrobial treatment of the most common causes of gram-positive mastitis.
authors.affiliation: Vetformance, 1 Rue Pasteur, 53700 Villaines la Juhel, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.affiliation: Vetformance, 1 Rue Pasteur, 53700 Villaines la Juhel, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gaudout
authors.affiliation: Vetformance, 1 Rue Pasteur, 53700 Villaines la Juhel, France. Electronic address: ellen.vandeleemput@wanadoo.fr.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: GD Animal Health, Arnsbergstraat 7, 7411 EZ Deventer, the Netherlands; Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ynte Hein
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Schukken
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zadoks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002452:Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Streptococcus uberis; antimicrobial treatment; clinical manifestation; mastitis; prognosis