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Journal of Dairy Science Jun 2024The primary objective of this cross-sectional observational study was to determine whether bulk tank milk quality, udder health, udder hygiene and milk production...
The primary objective of this cross-sectional observational study was to determine whether bulk tank milk quality, udder health, udder hygiene and milk production outcomes were associated with facility type on organic dairies. A secondary objective was to identify other management-related risk factors associated with bulk tank milk quality, udder health, udder hygiene, and milk production on organic dairy herds in Vermont. We aimed to enroll 40 farms, to compare herds using the 2 most common systems (freestalls, tiestalls) for housing organic dairy cattle in the state with those using a bedded pack during the non-grazing season (typically November-May). Two general styles of bedded packs were observed: cultivated bedded packs and untilled deep bedded packs. Due to the limited number of herds using bedded packs to house lactating dairy cattle in Vermont, we combined untilled and cultivated bedded packs to describe udder hygiene, milk quality, and udder health on these loose-housing systems deeply-bedded with organic material. The study was completed on 21 farms (5 bedded packs, 6 freestalls, 10 tiestalls) before interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data captured from Dairy Herd Improvement Association records from the test closest to the date of the farm visit included average somatic cell score (SCS), standardized 150-d milk (pounds), % cows with current high SCS (SCS ≥ 4.0), % cows with newly elevated SCS (previous SCS < 4.0 to current ≥ 4.0), and % cows with chronically elevated SCS (SCS ≥ 4.0 last 2 tests). Multivariable linear regression models were used to describe outcomes by facility type, but suffered from limited statistical power due to small group sample sizes. Unconditional comparisons failed to find statistically significant differences between farms grouped by facility type in metrics captured from Dairy Herd Improvement Association test data, bulk tank milk somatic cell count (BTSCC) and aerobic culture data, or udder hygiene scores. A secondary analysis was conducted using univariate linear regression to identify associations between herd management factors and outcomes for all 21 farms combined. Although not all differences found were statistically significant in this secondary analysis combining all farms, numeric differences that may be biologically important are reported showing farms with deeper bedding had a lower BTSCC, lower newly elevated SCS, lower chronically elevated SCS, lower elevated current SCS, lower average SCS, and better udder hygiene metrics. Farms with lower mean udder hygiene scores had numerically lower chronically elevated SCS, lower elevated current SCS, and lower average SCS. We could not reject the null hypothesis that milk quality and udder health outcomes did not differ by facility type, and this does not preclude the existence of biological differences in these outcomes between facility types. The current study provides insight on factors affecting bulk tank milk quality, udder health and hygiene measures on organic dairy farms in Vermont. Bedded packs may be a viable option for confinement housing during the winter non-grazing season for pasture-based herds interested in a loose-housing system in the Northeastern US, but more research such as longitudinal studies with a larger sample size is needed to test this hypothesis.
PubMed: 38908690
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24576 -
Radiology Case Reports Aug 2024Primary breast tuberculosis is a rare disease under extrapulmonary tuberculosis category. It tends to affect females of reproductive age rather than postmenopausal women...
Primary breast tuberculosis is a rare disease under extrapulmonary tuberculosis category. It tends to affect females of reproductive age rather than postmenopausal women or prepubescent girls. This rare form of disease poses a challenge in diagnosing as imaging can mimic the appearance of both benign and malignant breast lesions. We describe a case of primary breast tuberculosis in a young female who presented with a persistent left breast lump. and was diagnosed with chronic left breast abscess. Histopathological examination of the lesion was consistent with granulomatous mastitis, secondary to mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The patient was treated with a 6-month course of anti-tuberculosis drug with complete resolution of the symptoms and the left breast lesion on serial ultrasound imaging.
PubMed: 38903610
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.05.041 -
Veterinary Journal (London, England :... Jun 2024Mastitis is a global production disease that needs an intelligent solution to tackle effectively. Infrared Thermography (IRT) is a non-invasive technology that could be...
Mastitis is a global production disease that needs an intelligent solution to tackle effectively. Infrared Thermography (IRT) is a non-invasive technology that could be incorporated into routine day-to-day farm activities to monitor the health status of the animals. In this study, the udder health status was routinely monitored for 30 days among 41 Murrah buffaloes via IRT and the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Further, somatic cell count (SCC), microbial identification, and milk quality parameters were also estimated for representative samples. The thermal imaging data obtained was tabulated and back propagated from the 0th day to the -10th day and front propagated from the 0th day to +10th day for all the udder quarters. Results revealed that on the 0th day, the mean of udder skin surface temperature (USST) and teat skin surface temperature (TSST) showed a difference (p < 0.05) in the sub-clinical mastitis (SCM) and clinical mastitis (CM) affected quarters to the healthy quarters, and their degree of difference was the highest. The indication of infection was signaled during the -9th to -5th day to e 0th day in SCM and CM cases. There was a steep increment in the temperature from -2nd and -1st day to the 0th day of infection. Sometimes, some quarters show an increment in temperature due to mastitis during morning hours but recover by evening milking due to the animal's innate immune system. Thus, the initiation period in which the udder gets assaulted is crucial in the early assessment of SCM by monitoring temperature change using IRT.
PubMed: 38901760
DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106176 -
Talanta Jun 2024Bovine mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland, and it is the most common infectious disease in dairy cattle. Mastitis reduces milk yield and quality, costing...
Bovine mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland, and it is the most common infectious disease in dairy cattle. Mastitis reduces milk yield and quality, costing dairy farmers millions of dollars each year. The aim of this study was to develop a point-of-need test for identifying mastitis pathogens that is field portable, cost-effective and can be used with minimal training. Using a proprietary polymer-based milk sample preparation method to rapidly extract pathogen DNA in milk samples, we demonstrated quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) assays for six common bovine bacterial mastitis pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Mycoplasma bovis and Escherichia coli. We also implemented this sample preparation method on a prototype point-of-need system in a proof-of-concept field trial to evaluate user experience. Importantly, the protype system enabled a sample-to-result turnaround time of within 70 min to quantitatively detect all six target pathogens. The key advantage of our point-of-need prototype system is being culture-independent yet providing automated milk sample preparation for molecular identification of key mastitis pathogens by non-expert users. Our point-of-need prototype system showed a good correlation to laboratory-based qPCR for target pathogen detection outcomes, thus potentially removing the need for milk samples to be transported off-site for laboratory testing. Above all, we successfully achieved our objective of developing a point-of-need biosensor technology for mastitis and increased its readiness level with industry partners towards technology commercialization.
PubMed: 38897015
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126424 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2024Bersama abyssinica Fresen is a plant that is used in folk medicine for the treatment of mastitis and other infectious diseases.
BACKGROUND
Bersama abyssinica Fresen is a plant that is used in folk medicine for the treatment of mastitis and other infectious diseases.
OBIECTIVE
The antibacterial activity of methanol crude extract of plant was evaluated against three common bacterial pathogens, including Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
METHODS
The antibacterial activities and minimum inhibitory concentration of B. abyssinica crude extracts were evaluated using agar-well diffusion and broth dilution methods according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS).
RESULTS
A significant difference in the antibacterial activity of crude extracts was observed among different levels of concentration against tested isolates. A higher mean inhibition zone diameter was recorded in E. coli (29.2 ± 1.5 mm), followed by S. aureus (27.8 ± 1.1 mm) and P. aeruginosa (18.0 ± 0.7 mm) at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. The antibacterial activity of crude plant extract at 100 mg/mL was comparable with that of a standard antibiotic (27.6 ± 2.6) against S. aureus and E. coli isolates. The findings indicated that bacterial growth inhibition increased as the concentration of the crude extracts increased. E. coli and S. aureus isolates showed significantly higher susceptibilities to crude extracts than P. aeruginosa at all concentrations. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of extracts against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa isolates were 0.78 mg/mL, 1.56 mg/mL and 1.56 mg/mL, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
All tested pathogenic bacterial species were susceptible to plant leaf extract and broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The study recommends further fractionation of the B. abyssinica plant that contributes to its antibacterial activity and understands the mode of action of this plant against bacteria and other microbes.
Topics: Plant Extracts; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PubMed: 38896065
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1498 -
Journal of Inflammation Research 2024Periductal mastitis (PDM) is a chronic inflammatory lesion of the breast with an unknown etiology, and it is difficult for clinicians to differentiate it from...
PURPOSE
Periductal mastitis (PDM) is a chronic inflammatory lesion of the breast with an unknown etiology, and it is difficult for clinicians to differentiate it from granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM), although they have different treatment strategies and prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the differences in their clinicopathologic features to inform treatment strategies.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Between 2011 and 2020, 121 patients diagnosed with PDM and 57 patients with GLM were retrospective analysis. Patient data were extracted on demographics, clinical presentation, pathologic characteristics, treatments and clinical response. Histopathological evaluations were performed on core needle biopsy specimens. Immunohistochemical stains using antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, and CD138 was performed to define immune cell infiltration.
RESULTS
PDM patients had a higher median age compared to GLM patients (38 vs 32, p<0.001). PDM was primarily located in the areolar area, while GLM predominantly affected the peripheral quadrant of the breast (56.20% vs 75.44%, p<0.001). Histopathologically, more ductal dilatation (90.08% vs 3.51%, p<0.001), ductal wall thickening (47.93% vs 1.75%, p<0.001), and ductal rupture (44.63% vs 5.26%, p<0.001) were observed in PDM. GLM presented with significantly more granuloma (94.74% vs 10.74%, p<0.001), microabscess (68.42% vs 28.93%, p<0.001), and lipid vacuole (40.35% vs 8.26%, p<0.001) formation than PDM. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a significant presence of CD20+ B lymphocytes in PDM and a higher prevalence of CD8+ T lymphocytes in GLM, indicating differing immune responses. Treatment outcomes varied, with PDM patients responding well to surgery and anti-mycobacterial therapy, while GLM patients showed favorable responses to steroid therapy.
CONCLUSION
PDM is a specific entity with a similar clinical presentation but distinct histopathological features and immune profiles to GLM. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathogenesis and optimize therapeutic approaches for these breast inflammatory conditions.
PubMed: 38895142
DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S464585 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of IL-17A infection in the development of bacterial mastitis in dairy cows. In this study, RT-qPCR and ELISA were used...
The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of IL-17A infection in the development of bacterial mastitis in dairy cows. In this study, RT-qPCR and ELISA were used to measure the promoting effect of IL-17A on the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and chemokine (IL-8). In addition, Western blot (WB) was applied to measure the influences of IL-17A on the inflammation-related ERK and p38 proteins in the MAPK pathways. The results show that under the stimulation of LPS on cow mammary epithelial cells (CMECs), cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-17A will exhibit significantly increased expression levels ( < 0.05). With inhibited endogenous expression of IL-17A, cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α will present reduced genetic expression ( < 0.01), with reduced phosphorylation levels of ERK and p38 proteins in the MAPK signaling pathways ( < 0.001). Upon the exogenous addition of the IL-17A cytokine, the genetic expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α will increase ( < 0.05), with increased phosphorylation levels of the ERK and p38 proteins in the MAPK signaling pathways ( < 0.001). These results indicate that under the stimulation of CMECs with LPS, IL-17A can be expressed together with relevant inflammatory cytokines. Meanwhile, the inflammatory responses of mammary epithelial cells are directly proportional to the expression levels of IL-17A inhibited alone or exogenously added. In summary, this study shows that IL-17A could be used as an important indicator for assessing the bacterial infections of mammary glands, indicating that IL-17A could be regarded as one potential therapeutic target for mastitis.
PubMed: 38891619
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111572 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024Pasteurellosis, a disease caused by , is responsible for economic losses in rabbit industrial farms due to rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, metritis, mastitis,...
Pasteurellosis, a disease caused by , is responsible for economic losses in rabbit industrial farms due to rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, metritis, mastitis, orchitis, subcutaneous abscesses, otitis, encephalitis, and septicaemic forms. Although the occurrence of the disease is conditioned by predisposing factors that affect the rabbit immune response, the strains of involved in the infection may have a different pathogenic ability. Therefore, typing of strains spread among the rabbits is important to assess their pathogenic potential. The aim of this study is to investigate the strains responsible for disease in rabbit industrial farms. A total of 114 strains identified from different lesions were serotyped. Additionally, the presence of virulence-associated genes was investigated using three PCR (polymerase chain reaction) protocols. Capsular type A was prevalently found in strains from respiratory lesions while types D and F in those from metritis, mastitis, and other lesions. Different associations between some virulence-associated genes and both capsular type and lesions found in rabbits were detected. The presence of 8 virulence-associated genes seems to increase the occurrence of metritis. In addition, strains belonging to capsular type A and responsible for respiratory disorders especially, were found equipped with 10 and 11 virulence-associated genes. Nevertheless, the presence of strains responsible only for rhinitis was also detected among the latter, suggesting that the pathogenic ability of the bacteria depends on the expression rather than the presence of a gene.
PubMed: 38891615
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111569 -
Genetics, Selection, Evolution : GSE Jun 2024Linear models that are commonly used to predict breeding values in livestock species consider paternal influence solely as a genetic effect. However, emerging evidence...
BACKGROUND
Linear models that are commonly used to predict breeding values in livestock species consider paternal influence solely as a genetic effect. However, emerging evidence in several species suggests the potential effect of non-genetic semen-mediated paternal effects on offspring phenotype. This study contributes to such research by analyzing the extent of non-genetic paternal effects on the performance of Holstein, Montbéliarde, and Normande dairy cows. Insemination data, including semen Batch Identifier (BI, a combination of bull identification and collection date), was associated with various traits measured in cows born from the insemination. These traits encompassed stature, milk production (milk, fat, and protein yields), udder health (somatic cell score and clinical mastitis), and female fertility (conception rates of heifers and cows). We estimated (1) the effects of age at collection and heat stress during spermatogenesis, and (2) the variance components associated with BI or Weekly aggregated BI (WBI).
RESULTS
Overall, the non-genetic paternal effect estimates were small and of limited biological importance. However, while heat stress during spermatogenesis did not show significant associations with any of the traits studied in daughters, we observed significant effects of bull age at semen collection on the udder health of daughters. Indeed, cows born from bulls collected after 1500 days of age had higher somatic cell scores compared to those born from bulls collected at a younger age (less than 400 days old) in both Holstein and Normande breeds (+ 3% and + 5% of the phenotypic mean, respectively). In addition, across all breeds and traits analyzed, the estimates of non-genetic paternal variance were consistently low, representing on average 0.13% and 0.09% of the phenotypic variance for BI and WBI, respectively (ranging from 0 to 0.7%). These estimates did not significantly differ from zero, except for milk production traits (milk, fat, and protein yields) in the Holstein breed and protein yield in the Montbéliarde breed when WBI was considered.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that non-genetic paternal information transmitted through semen does not substantially influence the offspring phenotype in dairy cattle breeds for routinely measured traits. This lack of substantial impact may be attributed to limited transmission or minimal exposure of elite bulls to adverse conditions.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Male; Female; Phenotype; Paternal Age; Heat-Shock Response; Lactation; Milk; Quantitative Trait, Heritable; Fertility; Breeding; Semen
PubMed: 38890567
DOI: 10.1186/s12711-024-00918-2 -
Veterinary Research Communications Jun 2024Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are the microorganisms most frequently isolated from milk. Given their numerosity and complexity, MALDI-TOF MS is one...
Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are the microorganisms most frequently isolated from milk. Given their numerosity and complexity, MALDI-TOF MS is one of the preferred species identification approaches. Nevertheless, reference mass spectra for the novel species Staphylococcus borealis were included only recently in the Bruker Biotyper System (MBT) library, and other species of veterinary interest such as S. rostri are still absent. This work provides an updated picture of the NASM species found in milk, gained by retrospectively analyzing the data relating to 21,864 milk samples, of which 6,278 from clinical mastitis (CM), 4,039 from subclinical mastitis (SCM), and 11,547 from herd survey (HS), with a spectrum library including both species. As a result, S. borealis was the second most frequently isolated NASM (17.07%) after S. chromogenes (39.38%) in all sample types, with a slightly higher percentage in CM (21.84%), followed by SCM (17.65%), and HS (14.38%). S. rostri was also present in all sample types (3.34%), reaching 8.43% of all NASM in SCM and showing a significant association (p < 0.01) with this condition. Based on our findings, the presence of S. borealis and S. rostri in milk and their potential association with mastitis might have been overlooked, possibly due to the difficulties in differentiating these species from other closely related NASM. Our results indicate that S. borealis could be a more frequent contributor to bovine udder infections than previously thought and that S. rostri should also not be underestimated considering its significant association with SCM.
PubMed: 38888631
DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10440-x