Mastitis Etiology & Epidemiology Flashcards
What are 4 causes of mastitis?
- intramammary infection (bacterial, mycotic, viral)
- mechanical trauma - low hanging udders
- thermal trauma
- chemical insult
What are the 3 determinants of mastitis?
- cow
- pathogen
- environment
ALL INTERACT
What changes in milk are associated with clinical mastitis? What are other signs?
clumps, clots, flakes, blood
- swollen, painful, red, firm udder
- loss of appetite
- fever
- depression
What is the most common type of mastitis? What are 4 characteristics?
subclinical
- normal milk and udder appearance
- elevated SCC
- lowered milk production (~10%)
- longer duration
What is chronic mastitis?
persists in subclinical form or months to years with occasional clinical flare-ups
Clinical mastitis, abnormal milk:
strip cup used to filter out clumps
Clinical mastitis, abnormal udder:
- gangrenous
- can rupture
- swollen, red, painful, firm
What makes up the somatic cell count of milk? What is the normal value? What is seen with mastitis?
98-99% WBCs + 1-2% epithelial cells from milk-secreting tissue –> natural defense
50000-200000 cells/mL
> 200000 cells/mL = likelihood of infection increases
How does subclinical mastitis affect the make-up of milk?
INCREASES undesirable components and DECREASES desirable contents
What 11 components of milk are decreased in cases of mastitis?
- lactose
- total proteins
- casein
- non-fat solids
- total solids
- fat
- calcium
- phosphorus
- potassium
- cheese
- heat stability
What 5 components of milk are increased in cases of mastitis?
- immunoglobulins
- lipase - increases rancidity
- sodium
- chloride
- trace minerals
What 3 time periods is mastitis most common?
- active involution - first 3-4 weeks of dry period, a lot of change is occurring in the udder at this time and they are still producing milk, allowing buildup
- peripartum period - 15-20 days before parturtition
- early lactation - 1-100 days in milk
What 4 things occur during active involution that increases chances of mastitis? How can this be reduced?
(first 3-4 weeks of dry period)
- high pressure in gland
- bacteria in gland
- teat dipping ceases
- decreased phagocytic efficiency
reduce period of active involution by infusing colchicine to disrupt milk secretio mechanisms
What 5 things occur during the peripartum period that increase chances of mastitis?
- fluid volume in gland increases
- decreased phagocytic cells efficiency
- IgG1 is not effective opsonin in the mammary gland
- antibiotic concentration from dry cow period is low to zero at this point
- no teat dipping occurring –> not milking = not cleaning
What 2 things occur during early lactation that predispose to mastitis?
(1-100 days in milk)
- metabolically stressed
- high concentrate feeding
Mastitis development:
Diagnosing mastitis, bacterial growth vs. inflammation:
What is the California mastitis test?
measures SCC in milk samples using a bromocresol-purple-containing detergent that breaks down cell membrane of somatic cells –> release and aggregation of nucleic acid forms a gel-like matrix with viscosity proportional to leukocyte number
- high SCC = increased purple
How is a California mastitis test performed?
- place 1/2 teaspoon (2cc) of milk in each shallow cup in the plastic paddle
- add an equal amount of CMT reagent in each cup
- rotate the paddle in a circle to thoroughly mix the contents
- score in 10 second
What are the 4 CMT scores?
- 0 = negative, milk is normal, 0-200000, 0-25% neutrophils
- T = trace, slight precipitation, 150000-500000, 30-40% neut
- 1 = weak positive, precipitation w/o gel formation, 400000-15000000, 4-60% neut
- 2 = distinct positive, thickens with gel formation, 800000-5000000, 60-70% neut
- 3 = strong positive, increased viscosity, strong and cohesive gel, convex surface, >5000000, 70-80%
What are 6 advantages to the CMT?
- failure accurate
- can be used on bucket and bulk tank samples
- foreign material does not interfere
- inexpensive, simple, little equipment
- easy clean up after –> rinse with water
- herd mastitis levels can be estimated from tank CMTs –> 2-3 on a milk tank = high % of infected cows
What are 4 disadvantages to the CMT?
- subjective
- scores represent a range of leukocyte content, rather than an exact count
- false positives - fresh cows (<10 days), late lactation
- false negatives - acute clinical mastitis due to destruction of leukocytes by toxins
How is a pH test used to diagnose mastitis? What is the major advantage and disadvantage?
expect a rise in pH, which will be detected by bromothymol blue
user friendly, cost effective, rapid
not as sensitive as other tests
What is the Portacheck? What are the major advantage and disadvantage?
esterase-catalysed enzymatic reaction used to diagnose mastitis
cost effective, rapid, user friendly
low sensitivity at low SCCs
What is the Fossomatic SCC? What are the major advantages and disadvantages?
optical fluorescence is used to detect ethidium bromide, which penetrates and intercatales with nuclear DNA to estimate the SCC in the milk sample
rapid and automated
expensive, complex
What is the Delaval cell counter? What are the major advantages and disadvantages?
optical fluorescence is used to detect propidium iodide that stains nuclear DNA to estimate SCC in milk
rapid, device is easily transportable
relatively expensive