Mastitis is considered to be one of the most important diseases of dairy cows in terms of health, production, and economy. Being the most common cause of antibiotic consumption in dairy cows, treatment of this disease is one of the biggest challenges in the veterinary profession as an increasing number of pathogens develop resistance to antibiotics used in the treatment. Therefore, new alternative approaches for limiting the use of antibiotics in livestock are required. For this reason, our study aimed to investigate prevalence of environmental mastitis associated bacterial strains, as well as the sensitivity of isolated strains to different antibiotics. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of three essential oils (EOs) was tested against bovine Serratia spp. and Proteus spp. mastitis pathogens, based on their chemical composition, as well as antibacterial potential. The study was carried out on 81 milk samples collected from dairy cows with mastitis. In order to determine prevalence of S. marcescens and P. mirabilis, microbiological isolation and identification were performed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method and the microdilution method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of selected EOs. In the oregano EO, a total of 23 compounds were detected, with carvacrol as a dominant component (78.94%). A total of 26 components were present in the EO of common thyme, where thymol was the most abundant compound (46.37%). Thymol also dominated (55.11%) the wild thyme EO. All tested EOs displayed antibacterial activity against all strains to different extents, while wild and common thyme EOs were the most effective. It could be concluded that the tested EOs represent promising therapeutic candidates for effective non-antibiotic treatment of mastitis.
Mycoplasma bovis is pathogen known to cause respiratory disease, otitis media, arthritis and a variety of additional diseases in cattle. Infections caused by this pathogen have significant impact on the health, welfare and productivity of dairy and beef cattle resulting in substantial economic losses. Current preventive and treatment strategies rely on the use of antimicrobials and vaccines; however, their efficacy is limited due to difficult diagnosis and inconsistent disease expression. Here, we report results on the use of Mycobacterium cell wall fraction (MCWF), an immunomodulator, in dairy cows persistently infected with M. bovis during the period 2011-2015. Application of MCWF aided in reducing M. bovis-associated clinical signs, such as pneumonia, arthritis and mastitis, and improving overall reproductive performance and days in lactation of infected dairy cows. These results were compared to historical information on the health status and farm performance for period 2011-2015, and suggest that MCWF immunomodulator could be introduced as an aid in treatment protocols for persistent infections with M. bovis in dairy cows.
The presence of hydrometra was analyzed on five dairy goat farms (one Saanen and four Alpine) in a period of one to three years, from 2013 to 2016. Total of 3,355 goats were scanned by ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis after breeding season or out-of-season upon hormonal synchronization. Overall incidence of hydrometra was 1.37%. One farm of Saanen goats demonstrated statistically higher incidence of hydro/pyometra as compared to other four Alpine farms (3.25% vs. 0.56%; p <0.001). Seasonal synchronization of anestric goats and occasional outof-season synchronization in nulliparous Saanen goats probably contributed to higher incidence of this pathological condition (7/67; 10.45%), thus leaving unclear if this results can be attributed to breed affinity and/or to intensive reproductive management. Treatment with double prostaglandin injections and antibiotic treatment of hydrometra/pyometra resulted in relatively good conception rate of 64% (16/25). In conclusion, regular ultrasonography 40-70 days after mating or insemination is of crucial importance for intensive farm reproductive management on large dairy goat farms. After the treatment, significant percentage of goats with hydrometra can be successfully rebred.
Trichinosis is a parasitic zoonosis that is caused by parasitic larvae of the genus Trichinella. Serbia is among the countries in which T. spiralis is present, in addition to domestic animals, also in synanthropic and sylvatic animals. This paper presents the results of investigations of the spread of trichinosis among certain species of sylvatic and synanthropic animals, with the aim to establish the role of wild animals in the natural cycle of trichinosis in this country. A total of 155 samples of wild boar, foxes, jackals, and rats were analysed. The samples were investigated through the artificial digestion method using a magnetic stirrer in keeping with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005. The isolated muscle larvae were determined using the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The investigations established a relatively high prevalence of trichinosis in foxes (5%) and jackals (8.33%) in the territory of Vojvodina. The degree of infestation among carnivora in Serbia (10-30 larvae/10g) is much higher than in countries where there is no trichinosis among domestic animals. The prevalence of trichinosis among wild boar is not high, 0.82%, but a very high degree of infestation was established in these animals (1100 larvae/g). According to our results, the prevalence of trichinosis and the degree of infestation in rats collected from pig farms with established trichinosis is extremely high, the prevalence is higher than 80% with a degree of infestation of 900 larvae/g. The isolated muscle larvae were determined as belonging to the species T. spiralis. The spread of trichinosis is affected to a large degree by poor socioeconomic conditions, inadequate education of breeders, the absence of or unsatisfactory veterinary control, irregular animal carcass removal. Trichinosis of domestic swine is widespread in Serbia and it poses a significant risk to human health. The presented data indicate that it is necessary to include measures for preventing the spread of trichinosis from domestic swine to sylvatic animals among the measures that are being implemented to cut down trichinosis among domestic animals
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