The Three T’s: Target, Treat, Test
Introduction
Mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the udder that is costly not just in terms of production loss but also in treatment expense. Control programs aim to prevent the incidence of the disease and minimize production loss while treating the infection as effectively and economically as possible. Effective control programs are generally two pronged:
Targeting the causative pathogen for individual infections (rather than following a blanket treatment approach) aims to speed recovery and decrease the risk of reinfection.
Targeting the infected cow’s lactation point to determine treatment is generally intended to decrease production loss.
Somatic Cell Count (SCC) testing is an important element …show more content…
Pathogenic species have different modes of transmission and host immune responses, therefore each pathogen responds differently to control measures and treatments. Staphylococcus aureus is a contagious pathogen that is mostly transmitted at milking time on equipment or hands from infected cows to uninfected cows, spreading throughout the herd. Streptococcus spp. are mostly environmental pathogens, originating in soiled bedding, then multiplying on the udder skin and penetrating the teat canal.
For a more detailed discussion of pathogen characteristics, see the article Why Pathogen Matters for Mastitis Control
Lactation point also plays a role in targeting treatment effectively. The risk of the disease is higher at the start of the dry period as pressure in the udder increases, dilating the teat canal and giving easier access to bacteria. The periods of colostrogenesis (3-4 weeks pre-calving), calving and early lactation are also high risk due to the natural state of immune suppression. Mastitis occurring early in lactation has the potential to incur severe production losses if not treated appropriately, as well as increase the risk of reinfection late in the lactation period. …show more content…
Cows undergoing treatment should be tested for SCC throughout the treatment and recovery period for several reasons. As in the case of Staphylococcus aureus infections discussed above, there is a high risk that the infection will be non-responsive to antibiotic treatment. Testing such cows after attempting treatment ensures that a decision can be made to segregate or cull rather than potentially reintroduce an infection reservoir into the herd. Depending on the SCC level after treatment, milk sample culturing may be necessary to determine if the infection is a relapse from unsuccessful treatment or a new infection by a different pathogen species.
Testing after dry cow therapy ensures that management and therapy during this high risk period is effective and can predict whether a certain cow may be likely to experience an infection later in lactation. SCC testing throughout the treatment period can help establish general timelines for recovery from infection by specific pathogens. Monitoring SCC also helps create more effective treatment protocols based on causative pathogen and lactation point.
Introduction
Mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the udder that is costly not just in terms of production loss but also in treatment expense. Control programs aim to prevent the incidence of the disease and minimize production loss while treating the infection as effectively and economically as possible. Effective control programs are generally two pronged:
Targeting the causative pathogen for individual infections (rather than following a blanket treatment approach) aims to speed recovery and decrease the risk of reinfection.
Targeting the infected cow’s lactation point to determine treatment is generally intended to decrease production loss.
Somatic Cell Count (SCC) testing is an important element …show more content…
Pathogenic species have different modes of transmission and host immune responses, therefore each pathogen responds differently to control measures and treatments. Staphylococcus aureus is a contagious pathogen that is mostly transmitted at milking time on equipment or hands from infected cows to uninfected cows, spreading throughout the herd. Streptococcus spp. are mostly environmental pathogens, originating in soiled bedding, then multiplying on the udder skin and penetrating the teat canal.
For a more detailed discussion of pathogen characteristics, see the article Why Pathogen Matters for Mastitis Control
Lactation point also plays a role in targeting treatment effectively. The risk of the disease is higher at the start of the dry period as pressure in the udder increases, dilating the teat canal and giving easier access to bacteria. The periods of colostrogenesis (3-4 weeks pre-calving), calving and early lactation are also high risk due to the natural state of immune suppression. Mastitis occurring early in lactation has the potential to incur severe production losses if not treated appropriately, as well as increase the risk of reinfection late in the lactation period. …show more content…
Cows undergoing treatment should be tested for SCC throughout the treatment and recovery period for several reasons. As in the case of Staphylococcus aureus infections discussed above, there is a high risk that the infection will be non-responsive to antibiotic treatment. Testing such cows after attempting treatment ensures that a decision can be made to segregate or cull rather than potentially reintroduce an infection reservoir into the herd. Depending on the SCC level after treatment, milk sample culturing may be necessary to determine if the infection is a relapse from unsuccessful treatment or a new infection by a different pathogen species.
Testing after dry cow therapy ensures that management and therapy during this high risk period is effective and can predict whether a certain cow may be likely to experience an infection later in lactation. SCC testing throughout the treatment period can help establish general timelines for recovery from infection by specific pathogens. Monitoring SCC also helps create more effective treatment protocols based on causative pathogen and lactation point.