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The prevalence of mastitis in primiparous heifers in eleven Waikato dairy herds
- Source :
- New Zealand Veterinary Journal; April 1996, Vol. 44 Issue: 2 p41-44, 4p
- Publication Year :
- 1996
-
Abstract
- The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of mastitis among primiparous heifers at calving and at drying off in 11 Waikato dairy herds during the 1993-94 dairy production season. Duplicate quarter milk samples were collected aseptically from 458 heifers within 5 days after calving for bacteriological analysis. Mastitis was diagnosed in at least one quarter in 35.6% of these heifers. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from 21.8% of the heifers. The prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci varied between herds from 4.3% to 44.8%. Environmental streptococci caused mastitis in 12.2% of heifers, ranging from 5.6% to 24.1% between herds. Streptococcw uberis was the pathogen identified most frequently at calving and accounted for more than 90% of the streptococcal isolates. Streptococcw uberis and coliforms were isolated from less than 1% of samples. Clinical mastitis was observed in 8.1% of heifers at calving; environmental streptococci were isolated from 67.6% of these clinical cases. Only 2.8% of heifers developed clinical mastitis during lactation and environmental streptococci were isolated from 38.5% of these cases. The prevalence of mastitis among 428 of the heifers at drying off was 64.7%; a 1.8 fold increase during lactation. Corynebactetium bovis was isolated from 43% of heifers at drying off even though it was not isolated from any heifers at calving. During the season, the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis increased to 2.8% while mastitis caused by environmental streptococci declined to 2.8%. The prevalence of environmental mastitis pathogens decreased during lactation while contagious pathogens increased in each of the 11 herds. Ineffective post-milking teat sanitation probably contributed to the increase in mastitis caused by contagious pathogens. Specific factors were not determined that affected the variation in prevalence between herds.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00480169 and 11760710
- Volume :
- 44
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- New Zealand Veterinary Journal
- Publication Type :
- Periodical
- Accession number :
- ejs23660372
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.1996.35932