Environmental Streptococcal Mastitis: Facts, Fables, and Fallacies

Abstract

Rate of environmental streptococcal IMI is greatest during the first two weeks of the dry period and two weeks prior to calving compared with other stages of lactation.Treating all quarters of all cows with dry cow therapy reduces new IMI two weeks after drying off, but has no effect on new IMI prior to calving. Greatest benefit of using internal teat sealant is the reduction in new environmental strep IMI the two weeks prior to calving.Using straw bedding and manure packs expose teats to extremely large populations of streptococci. Use of sand bedding reduces exposure to streptococci 1