Subclinical and Clinical Mastitis in Heifers Following the Use of a Teat Sealant Precalving

Abstract

This study investigated the effect in heifers of infusion of a bismuth subnitrate teat-canal sealant and bacterial intramammary infection (IMI) precalving on prevalence of postcalving IMI and incidence of clinical mastitis in the first 2 wk postcalving. Glands (n = 1,020) from heifers (n = 255) in 5 seasonally calving, pasture-fed dairy herds were randomly assigned within heifer to 1 of 4 treatment groups (no treatment; mammary gland secretion collection; infusion of a teat sealant; or sample collection with infusion of teat sealant). Heifers within a herd were enrolled on one calendar day, 31 d on average before the planned start of the seasonal calving period. Duplicate milk samples were collected from each gland within 4 d after calving for bacterial culture. Herd owners collected duplicate milk samples, before treatment, for bacterial culture from glands they defined as having clinical mastitis. The gland prevalence of IMI precalving was 15.5% and did not differ between herds. Bacteria isolated precalving included coagulase-negative staphylococci (76.9% of all bacteriologically positive samples), Streptococcus uberis (14.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (5.1%), Corynebacterium spp. (3.8%), and others (0.1%). The presence of an IMI precalving increased the risk of an IMI postcalving 3.6-fold and the risk of clinical mastitis 4-fold, relative to no IMI precalving. Infusion of the teat sealant reduced the risk of postcalving IMI due to Strep. uberis by 84%, and of clinical mastitis by 68%. Sampling the glands precalving had no effect on postcalving IMI or on clinical mastitis incidence. Use of an internal teat canal sealant in heifers precalving may be a useful tool for reducing the risk of subclinical and clinical mastitis in heifers.

Efficacy of an internal teat seal associated with a dry cow intramammary antibiotic for prevention of intramammary infections in dairy cows during the dry and early lactation periods

“…These results are in agreement with different studies that observed lower infection rates in the group that received the internal seal (Berry & Hillerton 2002, Godden et al 2003, Parker et al 2007. Rabiee & Lean (2013), in a meta-analysis study about the efficiency of internal seal associated or not to dry cow antibiotic, concluded that the use of internal seal reduces the risk of IMI by 25% immediately postpartum when compared to the use of only antibiotic during the dry off period.…”

“…These facts reflect positively on the reduction of somatic cell count (SCC) and cases of clinical mastitis in the first 100 days of lactation. The same effects were observed for postpartum heifers that received internal seals during pre-partum (Parker et al 2007(Parker et al , 2008.…”

Evaluation of minor pathogen intramammary infection, susceptibility parameters, and somatic cell counts on the development of new intramammary infections with major mastitis pathogens

“…aureus NIMI. Parker et al (2007) found that heifers with precalving CNS IMI had an increased risk of postcalving IMI with Staph. aureus (RR = 6.56; 95% CI = 1.4-31.7).…”

Herd level approach to high bulk milk somatic cell count problems in dairy cattle

“…In several heifer mastitis surveys conducted throughout the world, up to 60% of the quarters harbored an IMI at the time of calving (e.g. Cook et al 1992;Parker et al 2007;Piepers et al 2010). Most of these IMI reveal themselves as subclinical mastitis characterized by an elevated SCC without any other visible symptoms of inflammation (De Vliegher et al 2012).…”