On average, there are 26 clinical mastitis cases per 100 cows in the herd, and mastitis accounts for around 8% of cows leaving the dairy system, according to the Kingshay 2024 Dairy Costings Focus Report. With the cost of replacement cows, whether home bred or bought in, increasing, savings can be made by focusing on how to prevent these losses in your herd.
Disease causing bacteria are called pathogens. The most common mastitis pathogens are
found either in udder tissues, spreading from cow to cow, or in the herd’s surroundings,
including bedding materials, dung and soil. These are known as contagious and environmental pathogens.
Identifying the pathogens involved is important when assessing the challenges present in your
herd and deciding which measures can be taken to reduce and treat mastitis.
Contagious pathogens, including Staph. aureus and Strep. dysgalactiae, tend to live on the
cow’s udder and teat skin and can transfer from affected to unaffected cows during milking. They live on the skin, colonising the teat end before transferring into the teat canal, where infection occurs.
High levels of teat end lesions and poor teat skin condition allow these bacteria to thrive. They can then spread between cows on hands, milking cloths or paper towels and the cluster. Because of this, pre and post milking teat treatment and good dry cow therapy play an important role in controlling contagious mastitis.
Farms with high levels of contagious mastitis often have a number of cows with high somatic
cell counts. Identifying these animals and taking measures to avoid cross contamination at
milking will help limit the spread to uninfected cows. Cleanliness of the person milking when moving between cows, pre and post dipping, cluster flushing or dipping the cluster between cows are all important measures.
Streptococcus uberis is the main pathogen which causes environmental mastitis. It is found throughout the cow’s environment and is particularly common in straw bedding and straw yards. Mastitis caused by this bacterium can be very acute, with a sudden infection of the cow.
Although generally classed as an environmental pathogen, some strains have been shown to
possess characteristics of contagious forms of the disease. It is normally particularly responsive to a range of antibiotics used for the treatment of mastitis. Good cow bed management, keeping beds clean and dry and using disinfectant products can help
control this bacterium.
E. coli is another environmental pathogen and is present in significant numbers in the general
farm environment because it is found in large numbers in cow faeces. It is responsible for
some very acute, painful and potentially fatal forms of mastitis. Cows with acute infections
often have thin, watery milk.
In recent years, changes in practices on dairy farms involving a number of factors have seen
the number of cases caused by E. coli increase significantly.
Poorly designed housing and poor bedding management can increase humidity levels, allowing E. coli bacteria to multiply. The bacteria produce very strong toxins, which can quickly cause severe symptoms.
Focus Points
Cleanliness at milking, good cow bed management and the correct choice of disinfectants and other products to reduce the spread of bacteria.
Your Harpers Representative will be happy to assess and advise, or bring in experts to help control mastitis in your herd.
Massey Harpers has a wide range of chemicals and products designed to make the environment less hospitable for bacteria to increase and spread, alongside people who can help you choose the right products for your farm.
