Mastitis

Question 1

Which mastitis pathogen is both infectious and contagious?

Answer 1

Strep uberis

Question 2

What teat damage can milking machines cause?

Answer 2

Hyperkeratosis

Question 3

Which part of the immune system are antimicrobial substances in milk part of?

Answer 3

Innate

Question 4

What type of cells are the resident leucocytes in milk?

Answer 4

Neutrophils, T lymphocytes, macrophages

Question 5

What is lysozyme?

What is lactoperoxidase?

Answer 5

Bacteriocidal enzyme

Bacteriostatic agent

Question 6

Which type of cells produces IgG2 antibodies on repeated exposure to antigen?

Answer 6

B-lymphocytes

Question 7

What are the 2 types of T-lymphocyte?

Answer 7

T-cytotoxic cells

T-helper cells

Question 8

Which is the most important antibody response?

Answer 8

IgG2

Question 9

What 3 genetic traits are we currently able to select for in order to improve resistance to mastitis?

Answer 9

1. Low SCC
2. Udder conformation
3. Milk yield

Question 10

Which stage of lactation is has the highest risk of acquiring mastitic infections?
When is clinical disease usually seen?

Answer 10

Early dry period and peri-parturient cow

First 6 weeks after calving

Question 11

What tubes exit in a cluster unit?

Answer 11

Pulse tube (connects to side)
Milk tube (connects underneath the shell)

Question 12

How does the liner and vacuum adjust milk flow?

Answer 12

When the vacuum is on, the liner is open and milk flows out

When the vacuum is off, the liner is closed and milk flow ceases

Question 13

What is the milking order? (6 groups)

Answer 13

1. Heifers
2. Fresh calvers
3. High yielders
4. Low yielders
5. High SCC cows
6. Mastitic cows

Question 14

Which virus causes bovine herpes mammilitis?

Answer 14

BHV-2

Question 15

What is Black spot?

Answer 15

Damage to teat end (e.g. excess vacuum) + 2ndary infection with fusobacterium necrophorum

Question 16

What is a positive Californian milk test?

Answer 16

Gelatinous

Question 17

What is the target number of clinical cases per 100 cows/year?

Answer 17

< 30

Question 18

Which mastitis pathogen is intermittently shed and intracellular location?

Answer 18

Staph aureus

Question 19

What SCC indicates no infection?
What indicates a minor pathogen?
What indicates a major pathogen?

Answer 19

None = < 100,000cells/ml
Minor = 100-200,000cells/ml
Major = > 200,000cells/ml

Question 20

Which type of pathogen is picked up during the dry period?

Answer 20

Environmental

Often presents shortly after calving

Question 21

What position is most comfortable for cows to lie in?

Answer 21

Uphill

Question 22

What type of pathogen are straw yards and faeces/slurry a risk for?

Answer 22

Environmental mastitis

Strep uberis

Question 23

How often should straw yards be completely cleaned out?

Answer 23

Every 2 weeks

Question 24

What is a broad-spectrum combination of antibiotic tubes?

Answer 24

Neomycin + penicillin

Question 25

What are 3 antibiotics used to treat Staph aureus?

Answer 25

Pencillin, Synulox, Amoxiclav

Question 26

What gram +ve coccobacilli would fail to grow on all parts of the plate?

Answer 26

Truperella pyogenes

Question 27

What gram +ve cocci (chains) would produce a DARK growth on Streptococci plate?

Answer 27

Steptococci uberis

Question 28

What gram -ve pathogen would produce blue-violet colonies on tri plate, and have a metallic green sheen on specific growth plate?
What is the treatment?

Answer 28

E. coli
Potentiated sulphonamides (Cotrimoxazole)

Question 29

What pathogen would produce pink/purple coloured colonies on gram -ve side of tri plate?
What is the treatment?

Answer 29

Klebsiella

Lots of resistance! Synulox, amoxicillin, cephalosporin

Question 30

What gram -ve would produce a refractile silver pigmentation and bright green colour on selective media?
What is the treatment?

Answer 30

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Resistant to everything apart from cefoquinone and enrofloxacin (critically important antibiotics)