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Congential amastia, a medical condition in which mammary tissue fails to develop, was detected in a 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare. The dam of the mare was also afflicted with amastia, suggesting that the condition was due to an inherited genetic mutation as noted in other species. In addition, on presentation the mare had a purulent vaginal discharge secondary to a pyometra., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

1. An experiment was carried out to validate techniques as predictive diagnostic tools for breast myopathies and to study the allometric growth of distinct parts of the body and meat quality of broilers.2. Infrared thermography was performed at 35 d of age. The surface temperatures of breasts of 300 birds were recorded, followed by ultrasound imaging.3. The birds were slaughtered and the cuts were made to weigh the body parts. Then, the breasts were evaluated as for the presence and severity of myopathies, from which nine treatments were established represented by the associated degrees of the myopathies white striping and wooden breast and breasts classified as normal.4. There was no difference in surface temperatures and echogenicity values between normal breasts and breasts affected by myopathies. At 35 d of age few fillets classified as normal were found.5. The breast showed late growth in relation to the body, regardless of characteristic lesions of myopathies. The most severe score of wooden breast affected meat quality variables.

Mycoplasma species are the smallest prokaryotes capable of self-replication. To investigate Mycoplasma induced autophagy in mammalian cells, Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) and bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC) were used in an in vitro infection model. Initially, intracellular M. bovis was enclosed within a membrane-like structure in bMEC, as viewed with transmission electron microscopy. In infected bMEC, increased LC3II was verified by Western blotting, RT-PCR and laser confocal microscopy, confirming autophagy at 1, 3 and 6 h post-infection (hpi), with a peak at 6 hpi. However, the M. bovis-induced autophagy flux was subsequently blocked. P62 degradation in infected bMEC was inhibited at 3, 6, 12 and 24 hpi, based on Western blotting and RT-PCR. Beclin1 expression decreased at 12 and 24 hpi. Furthermore, autophagosome maturation was subverted by M. bovis. Autophagosome acidification was inhibited by M. bovis infection, based on detection of mCherry-GFP-LC3 labeled autophagosomes; the decreases in protein levels of Lamp-2a indicate that the lysosomes were impaired by infection. In contrast, activation of autophagy (with rapamycin or HBSS) overcame the M. bovis-induced blockade in phagosome maturation by increasing delivery of M. bovis to the lysosome, with a concurrent decrease in intracellular M. bovis replication. In conclusion, although M. bovis infection induced autophagy in bMEC, the autophagy flux was subsequently impaired by inhibiting autophagosome maturation. Therefore, we conclude that M. bovis subverted autophagy to promote its intracellular replication in bMEC. These findings are the impetus for future studies to further characterize interactions between M. bovis and mammalian host cells., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Mammary pathogenic Escherichia coli (MPEC) is an important causative agent of mastitis in dairy cows that results in reduced milk quality and production, and is responsible for severe economic losses in the dairy industry worldwide. Oxidative stress, as an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, is a stress factor that is common in most bacterial habitats. The presence of ROS can damage cellular sites, including iron-sulfur clusters, cysteine and methionine protein residues, and DNA, and may cause bacterial cell death. Previous studies have reported that Autoinducer 2 (AI-2) can regulate E. coli antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity by mediating the intracellular receptor protein LsrR. This study explored the regulatory mechanism of LsrR on the H 2 O 2 stress response in MPEC, showing that the transcript levels of lsrR significantly decreased under H 2 O 2 stress conditions. The survival cell count of lsrR mutant XW10/pSTV28 was increased about 3080-fold when compared with that of the wild-type WT/pSTV28 in the presence of H 2 O 2 and overexpression of lsrR (XW10/pUClsrR) resulted in a decrease in bacterial survival rates under these conditions. The β-galactosidase reporter assays showed that mutation of lsrR led to a remarkable increase in expression of the promoters of ahpCF, katG and oxyR, while lsrR-overexpressing significantly reduced the expression of ahpCF and katG. The electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that LsrR could directly bind to the promoter regions of ahpCF and katG. These results revealed the important role played by LsrR in the oxidative stress response of MPEC., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The presence of non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) in bovine rectal feces has recently been described. Similar to other mastitis causing pathogens, shedding of NAS in the environment could result in intramammary infection. The objective of this study was to investigate whether NAS strains present in feces can cause intramammary infection, likely via teat apex colonization. During a cross-sectional study in 5 dairy herds, samples were collected from the habitats quarter milk, teat apices, and rectal feces from 25%, 10%, and 25% of the lactating cows, respectively, with a cow serving as the source of one type of sample only. Samples from clinical mastitis cases were continuously collected during the 1-year study period as well. The 6 most prevalent NAS species, Staphylococcus (S.) chromogenes, S. cohnii, S. devriesei, S. equorum, S. haemolyticus, and S. hominis, were further subtyped by random amplification of polymorphic deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), when the same NAS species was present in the same herd in the three habitats. For S. chromogenes, S. cohnii, S. devriesei, and S. haemolyticus, the same RAPD type was found in rectal feces, teat apices, and quarter milk, indicating that fecal NAS can infect the mammary gland. For S. hominis and S. equorum, we were unable to confirm the presence of the same RAPD types in the three habitats.

Staphylococcal mastitis is a major health problem in humans and livestock that leads to economic loss running in millions. This process is currently one of the main reasons for culling adult rabbit does. Surprisingly, the two most prevalent S. aureus lineages isolated from non-differentiable natural clinical mastitis in rabbits (ST121 and ST96) generate different immune responses. This study aimed to genetically compare both types of strains to search for possible dissimilarities to explain differences in immune response, and to check whether they showed similar virulence in in vitro tests as in experimental intramammary in vivo infection. The main differences were observed in the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) and the immune-evasion-cluster (IEC) genes. While isolate ST121 harboured all six egc cluster members (seg, sei, selm, seln, selo, selu), isolate ST96 lacked the egc cluster. Strain ST96 carried a phage integrase Sa3 (Sa3int), compatible with a phage integrated into the hlb gene (β-haemolysin-converting bacteriophages) with IEC type F, while isolate ST121 lacked IEC genes and the hlb gene was intact. Moreover, the in vitro tests confirmed a different virulence capacity between strains as ST121 showed greater cytotoxicity for erythrocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages than strain ST96. Differences were also found 7 days after experimental intramammary infection with 100 colony-forming units. The animals inoculated with strain ST121 developed more severe gross and histological mastitis, higher counts of macrophages in tissue and of all the cell populations in peripheral blood, and a significantly larger total number of bacteria than those infected by strain ST96.

Mammary lesions in sows can prevent suckling piglets from consuming colostrum that provides fundamental nutrients and protective immunity. Although mammary gross lesions are frequently found in sows at farms or slaughterhouses, with the exception of mastitis, they have received little research attention. In this study, we investigated mammary lesions observed in South Korean sows between 2015 and 2016. Mammary tissue samples of 82 sows showing gross lesions during meat inspection were histologically classified and immunohistochemical analysis was conducted to assess the expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-α, ER-β, and progesterone receptor (PR) for mammary hyperplastic lesions as well as that of cluster of differentiation (CD) 3, CD79a, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 for mastitis. Furthermore, 20 swab samples were cultured, and the isolated bacteria were identified using polymerase chain reactions for 16S ribosomal RNA genes. The lesions were classified as hyperplasia, mastitis, or hyperplasia with mastitis. Immunohistochemistry results revealed that there was neither expression of ER-α nor of ER-β, but all examined hyperplastic samples expressed PR. In addition, there was a significant correlation between CD3 and IL-1β expressions, as well as between IL-1β and IL-6 expressions. Regarding the identity of the isolated bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. were most frequently detected. The results of this study have revealed the incidence and characteristics of porcine mammary lesions., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The present retrospective study was conducted from 2003 to 2015 in Egypt to document common surgical affections of the udder and teat in cattle and buffaloes, and determine medical and surgical treatment options that are feasible in a field setting. We diagnosed 19 different surgical affections and classified them into 4 groups according to their location. Teat orifice affections (12.41%) included imperforate teat, contracted teat orifice, enlarged teat orifice, and black spot. Teat cistern affections (23.76%) included teat fistula, dilated teat cistern, teat polypi, and webbed teat. Teat surface affections (50.35%) included sore teat, supernumerary teat, sloughed teat, teat papilloma and fibropapilloma, teat wounds, and teat viral lesions. Udder affections (13.48%) included hypermastia, udder wounds, and suppurative and gangrenous mastitis. In cattle, the number of surgical affections located on the teat surface (20 ± 5.4) was significantly higher compared with other locations as well as compared with buffaloes (P<0.05). No treatment was indicated in 24% of recorded cases. Medical and surgical treatment was indicated in 73.75% of affected animals. Favorable results were achieved with the recommended treatments when applied in the field.

The present case describes an unusual lactation of a 15-month-old,unbred Holstein-Friesian heifer, which had four swollen, ampouleshaped udder quarters with milk secretion. Examination of the heifer using rectal palpation and transrectal ultrasonography revealed enlargement of the right ovary and partial replacement of original tissue by multiple cysts of variable size. Treatment of the assumed follicularcystic ovary disease was unsuccessful. At slaughter 8 months later, the ovaries were examined pathologically and a granulosa cell tumor on the right ovary was diagnosed. Udder development and lactation in cattle is regulated normally hormonally. Follicular and cystic changes and granulosa cell tumors may also display hormonal activity. Therefore, we assume one or both of these could have been the cause of the unusual lactation in this case. We thus advise careful examination of the inner reproductive tract when facing the symptom of unusual lactation in unbred heifers., Competing Interests: Die Autoren bestätigen, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Schattauer GmbH.)

Wooden Breast Disease (WBD), a myopathy that frequently affects modern broiler chickens, is a disorder that has been associated with significant economic losses in the poultry industry. To examine tissue changes associated with the onset and early pathogenesis of this disorder, a time-series experiment was conducted using chickens from a high-breast-muscle-yield, purebred commercial broiler line. Birds were raised for up to seven weeks, with a subset of birds sampled weekly. Breast muscle tissues were extracted at necropsy and processed for analysis by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Histologic presentation indicated localized phlebitis with lipogranulomas in Week 1, focal single-myofibril degeneration in Week 2 preceding an inflammatory response that started in Week 3. Lesions in Week 4 were characterized by multifocal to diffuse muscle fibre degeneration, necrosis, interstitial oedema accompanied by increased lipid and inflammatory cell infiltration. Lesions in Weeks 5-7 revealed diffuse muscle degeneration, necrosis, fibrosis and fatty infiltration with lipogranulomas. Ultrastructural examination showed myofibrillar splitting and degeneration, irregular, displaced and degenerated Z-lines, mitochondrial degeneration and interstitial fibrosis with dense regular collagen fibres. This study, therefore, demonstrates that WBD exhibits an earlier onset in modern broilers than when detectable by clinical examination. Further, this study shows that the disease assumes a progressive course with acute vasculitis, lipid deposition and myodegeneration occurring in the earlier stages, followed by a chronic fibrotic phase.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been widely applied in livestock to identify genes associated with traits of economic interest. Here, we conducted the first GWAS of the supernumerary nipple phenotype in Wadi sheep, a native Chinese sheep breed, based on Ovine Infinium HD SNP BeadChip genotypes in a total of 144 ewes (75 cases with four teats, including two normal and two supernumerary teats, and 69 control cases with two teats). We detected 63 significant SNPs at the chromosome-wise threshold. Additionally, one candidate region (chr1: 170.723-170.734 Mb) was identified by haplotype-based association tests, with one SNP (rs413490006) surrounding functional genes BBX and CD47 on chromosome 1 being commonly identified as significant by the two mentioned analyses. Moreover, Gene Ontology enrichment for the significant SNPs identified by the GWAS analysis was functionally clustered into the categories of receptor activity and synaptic membrane. In addition, pathway mapping revealed four promising pathways (Wnt, oxytocin, MAPK and axon guidance) involved in the development of the supernumerary nipple phenotype. Our results provide novel and important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the phenotype of supernumerary nipples in mammals, including humans. These findings may be useful for future breeding and genetics in sheep and other livestock., (© 2017 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.)

Staphylococcus aureus intramammary infections (IMIs) have low cure rates using standard antibiotic treatment and increasing the duration of treatment usually improves therapeutic success. Chronic IMIs are thought to be caused by bacteria presenting a specific virulence phenotype that includes the capacity to produce greater amounts of biofilm. In this study, antibiotic susceptibility and biofilm production by S. aureus isolates recovered from IMIs that were cured or not following an extended therapy with cephapirin, pirlimycin or ceftiofur for 5, 8 and 8 days, respectively, were compared. An isolate was confirmed as from a persistent case (not cured) if the same S. aureus strain was isolated before and after treatment as revealed by the same VNTR profile (variable number of tandem repeats detected by multiplex PCR). The antibiotic minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for these isolates as well as the capacity of the isolates to produce biofilm. Isolates from persistent cases after extended therapy with cephapirin or ceftiofur had higher MICs for these drugs compared to isolates from non-persistent cases (p < 0.05) even though the antibiotic susceptibility breakpoints were not exceeded. Isolates of the ceftiofur study significantly increased their biofilm production in presence of a sub-MIC of ceftiofur (p < 0.05), whereas isolates from the pirlimycin group produced significantly less biofilm in presence of a sub-MIC of pirlimycin (p < 0.001). Relative antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates as well as biofilm production may play a role in the failure of extended therapies. On the other hand, some antibiotics may counteract biofilm formation and improve cure rates.

Bovine papilloma is a chronic and proliferative skin and mucosal wart caused by Bovine papillomavirus (BPV). In June, 2013, a leaf-and flat-shaped wart disease was observed on the nipple skins in a cattle farm in Xinjiang. To diagnose the disease, we collected the diseased skins for pathological biopsy and DNA analysis by PCR amplification using a pair of degenerate primers FAP59 and FAP64. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the infection was caused by a variant of BPV3 and putatively a new subtype of BPV (BPV/CHI-SW1, belonging to the Xi papillomavirus genus). This is the first report of mixed infection caused by variant of BPV3 and BPV (putatively new subtype) in China, and would be of importance for the molecular epidemiological study of the disease., (© 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Basic data for calculating the economic losses of subclinical staphylococcal intramammary infections are the reduction in milk yield and the within-herd prevalences. This study aimed to determine these parameters in selected herds. Quarter foremilk samples were taken from all lactating cows without clinical mastitis of 34 Thuringian dairy herds twice with an interval of five to nine months A total of 81 567 samples from 14 157 cows were cultured and screened for Staphylococci, Streptococci and Enterobacteriaceae. For statistical analysis a multifactorial variance analysis which included the factors farm, quarter, days in lactation and number of lactation was used. Least square means of the within-herd prevalence were 3.14% for Staphylococcus (S.) aureus and 6.64% for Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS). The highest frequency of S. aureus-infections was detected at 201-250 days in milk. The risk of S. aureus-infections increased with increasing lactation number, whereas the frequency of CNS-infections decreased with lactation number (p < 0.001). Compared to not infected cows, S. aureus infected cows showed no differences in milk yield or milk components, but had a higher somatic cell count (SCC) (219 000 cells/ml, p < 0.001). The SCC by CNS infected cows was 89 000 cells/ml (p = 0.049). High SCCs were associated with low milk yield. Subclinical intramammary infections with S. aureus and CNS result in a higher SCC. There is a direct association between SCC and milk yield.

Supernumerary teats represent a common abnormality of the bovine udder. A genome-wide association study was performed based on the proportion of the occurrence of supernumerary teats in the daughters of 1097 Holstein bulls. The heritability of caudal supernumerary teats without mammary gland in this study was 0.604. The largest proportion of the heritability was attributable to BTA 20. The strongest evidence for association was with five SNPs on chromosome 20, referred to as a QTL. The mode of inheritance at this QTL was dominant. These findings reveal that the occurrence of caudal supernumerary teats without mammary gland in Holstein cattle is influenced by a QTL on chromosome 20 and a polygenic part. The data support the high potential of the SNPs in the QTL region as markers for breeding against caudal supernumerary teats., (© 2014 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.)

The objective was to investigate the changes occurring in the activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in sheep and goat milk as a result of subclinical intramammary infections (IMI) and to evaluate the use of these enzymes for the diagnosis of subclinical IMI in dairy sheep and goats. A total of 206 samples of sheep milk and 162 samples of goat milk, obtained from equal udder halves, were used in the study. For each species they were divided into two groups: a no-infection group and a subclinical infection group. Activities of LDH, ALP and AST were significantly higher in the subclinical infection group than in the no-infection group (P<0.05) in both sheep (LDH: 350.42+/-11.25 v. 120.91+/-4.41; ALP: 2773.43+/-105.18 v. 2189+/-94.24; AST: 29.57+/-0.74 v. 17.32+/-0.46) and goats (LDH: 354.07+/-13.33 v. 103.79+/-3.75; ALP: 311.13+/-25.74 v. 137.24+/-19.62; AST: 27.59+/-6.42 v. 15.87+/-0.45). The activity of LDH was identified as indicator for subclinical IMI in both sheep and goats. The optimum cut-off values for LDH activity, offering the highest diagnostic sensitivity (DSn) and diagnostic specificity (DSp), determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, were at 197 U/l, 185 U/l and 197 U/l for sheep, goats and both species, respectively. DSn for sheep, goats and both species at these cut-off values was 92.8%, 98.2% and 94.0%, whereas DSp was 95.4%, 96.3% and 96.3%, respectively. It was concluded that the determination of LDH activity in milk serum is a sensitive and reliable method for the detection of subclinical IMI in dairy sheep and goats.

The etiology of bovine ulcerative mammary dermatitis (UMD) is poorly characterized. The goal of this study was to genetically analyze spirochetes present in UMD lesions. DNA prepared from UMD lesion biopsies and from spirochetes cultured from the corresponding lesion biopsies was PCR amplified using primers for the 16S rDNA-tRNA(ile) intergenic spacer region (ISR) of Treponema 16S-23S rDNA. Analysis of cloned ISR amplicons from three cultivable UMD-associated spirochetes indicated that two isolates cluster closely with cultivable papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD)-associated and human-associated Treponema phylotypes, while the remaining isolate is unique. Analysis of ISR amplicons from UMD lesion biopsies identified additional not-yet-cultivable Treponema phylotypes. Our results revealed the presence of a genetically diverse Treponema population in an UMD lesion.

Out of 700 heifers at a local farm in Hokkaido, the Northern island of Japan, 560 (80%) were found to have benign teat tumors. All of the analyzed tumors were macroscopically of the flat-and-round type, and no other types such as rice-grain or frond epithelial type were found. The lesions were characterized by epithelial hyperplasia, acanthosis and hyperkeratosis. Unlike in typical fibropapilloma, fibroplasia of the underlying dermis was not observed. Bovine papilloma virus (BPV) capsid antigen and virus particles were found in basophilic intranuclear inclusions of the stratum granulosum of the epidermis by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, respectively. BPV-specific DNA was also detected in the lesions. By means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing of the PCR products, the viruses causing this outbreak were identified mainly as BPV-6 (64%), partly as unclassified BPVs (14%) and their co-infections (21%). Our findings suggest that this outbreak of benign teat tumors was associated with several BPV types.

Because of their close phylogenic relationship with humans, the use of non-human primates (NHP) as experimental subjects has a long history in biomedical research. Although research topics have shifted focus and species used have changed, NHP remain vital as models in basic and applied research. While there is a wealth of information available on the spontaneous lesions of NHP, most of this information is fragmented, dated, or narrow in focus, often limited to single case reports. This review attempts to integrate this information to illustrate and enumerate the spectrum of spontaneous pathology of the reproductive tract and mammary gland of NHP. Although not the focus of this review, steroid-related changes are inextricably linked to these tissues, and brief consideration is given to this subject as well.

Fusarium was isolated and its toxin was extracted from the buckwheat grown in an epidemic area with "endemic breast enlargement" disease. The toxin was determined with thin layer chromatography and mass spectrography. Results showed there were more than four kinds of mould, including fusarium, isolated from buckwheat grown in the endemic disease area. All the buckwheat grown in the area were infected with mould and 34% with fusarium. Three kinds of toxin were extracted from the buckwheat, with rates of flow of 0.23, 0.47 and 0.90, respectively, in thin layer chromatography. And, zearalenone was extracted from the buckwheat and identified by mass spectrography.

Nine aged (mean age = 3.2 years) nulliparous New Zealand white rabbit does were found to have markedly enlarged teats. The teats were frequently engorged with fluid but were not hot and did not cause signs of pain. The number of affected teats per animal ranged from 1 to 8 (mean = 4). The teats and associated glandular tissue were typically discolored grey, blue, or greenish black (n = 6). Prolactin concentrations were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. Serum prolactin concentrations ranged from 22.4 ng/ml to 2.21 micrograms/ml (mean = 397.3 ng/ml), which was 10- to 1000-fold greater than normal values in nonpregnant rabbits. Conventional radiography of the skull of six rabbits did not reveal pituitary enlargement. Necropsy revealed an enlarged pituitary gland and sella turcica in six of nine does. The diaphragma sellae had ruptured in two rabbits. All nine rabbits had pituitary acidophil adenomas. The neoplastic portions of the pituitaries were diffusely immunoreactive when stained immunohistochemically for prolactin. In contrast, only small clusters of five to seven cells stained positively in normal pituitaries selected as controls. Histologic examination of the mammary glands revealed numerous large dilated cystic spaces containing proteinaceous fluid. Many cysts had numerous papillary epithelial infoldings. The cystic dilations extended into and included the teat canal producing the gross appearance. Prolactin-secreting acidophil adenomas have not been previously reported in the rabbit, and the association with mammary dysplasia is unique.

The possible involvement of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis with severe pre- and post partum udder oedema was studied in a herd of 60 Holstein/Friesian cows. The prevalence of udder oedema in this herd was about 75 per cent. The animals were fed a diet containing high levels of potassium (average daily potassium intake 410 g per cow). The concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride and total protein in the plasma of the cows were within their normal ranges. In one animal a very low plasma cortisol concentration (2.30 ng/ml) was accompanied by normal plasma glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. The adrenal responsiveness of two heifers with severe udder oedema was impaired one month after parturition in comparison with 11 normal animals (increases from 3.27 to 38.8 and 23.2 to 37.8 ng cortisol/ml compared with 8.02 +/- 1.19 to 146 +/- 16.7 ng cortisol/ml but returned to normal spontaneously after 175 days. One cow was diagnosed as having primary adrenocortical insufficiency.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most frequent bacterial isolates from nonclinical intramammary infections (NIMI) in a ewe flock. The prevalence of NIMI was 22.9% of the udder halves at lambing and decreased to 12.5% or less between week 2 and week 6 of lactation. The decrease was due mainly to the elimination of infections involving coagulase-negative staphylococci. The frequency of new NIMI in the first 6 weeks of lactation was less than 1% of the noninfected udder halves per week. The prevalence of NIMI increased steadily from 16.1% of the udder halves at the time of weaning the lambs to 29% at postweaning week 3. The new infection rate averaged 9.7% per week during the postweaning 3 weeks. The principal bacterial isolate in the new NIMI was coagulase-negative staphylococcus. Nonclinical intramammary infection in a ewe flock was monitored by bacteriologic cultural examinations of milk samples obtained from both udder halves of 24 ewes during early lactation and of 31 ewes in the same flock during the early postweaning period. The patterns of NIMI were similar to the patterns reported in cattle.

Treatment of edematous condition of udder with a combination of a diuretic and a corticosteroid administered for three successive days following parturition did not reduce the number of days required to reach peak production. Treatment had no effect on milk production, either adverse or beneficial. Data were from 73 Holstein cows and heifers.