Use of approved cefazolin based intramammary dry goat treatment and its effects on the milk microbiota.

Intramammary dry-off treatment is widely considered an effective method for preventing and curing intramammary infection (IMI) in lactating cows; however, it is not commonly used in small ruminants like goats. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of an approved cefazolin-based intramammary treatment on the milk microbiota of Alpine dairy goats during the dry and early lactation periods. Sixty goats were randomly selected based on bacteriological results and randomly allocated into the control group (CG) or the treatment group (TG).

Correction: Gut microbiome modifications over time when removing in-feed antibiotics from the prophylaxis of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

A rapid and reliable method for early identification and characterization in support of the epidemiology study.

Introduction: Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia predominantly caused by (Lp), whose major reservoirs are artificial water systems. As most human infections are caused by serogroup 1 (Lp1), a reliable method for Lp distinction can be crucial for bacterial spread prevention. As the ability to withstand in environments and to cause the waterborne disease is strongly related to specific genes, the identification of virulent strains can be of great relevance to implement water environmental monitoring and to contain harmful outbreaks to public health.

Effect of a lime-based bedding conditioner on physical-chemical characteristics and microbiological counts of recycled manure solids.

Bedding materials are aimed at providing a safe and comfortable resting environment for cows. Control of pathogen proliferation in these substrates is crucial to prevent intramammary infections in dairy cows, as these can significantly impact milk quality, cow health, and farm productivity. This is particularly relevant in the case of organic bedding substrates, including manure-derived materials.

An update on non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci in cow milk: unveiling the presence of Staphylococcus borealis and Staphylococcus rostri by MALDI-TOF MS.

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.

Presence of pathogen DNA in milk harvested from quarters is associated to changes in cows' milk yield and composition.

Background: Intramammary infection is the result of invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in the mammary gland and commonly leads to mastitis in dairy animals. Although much has been done to improve cows' udder health, mastitis remains a significant and costly health issue for dairy farmers, especially if subclinical. In this study, quarter milk samples from clinically healthy cows were harvested to detect pathogens via quantitative PCR (qPCR) and evaluate changes in individual milk traits according to the number of quarters infected and the type of microorganism(s).

Multidrug-Resistant Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing in a Dairy Herd: Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles.

This study investigated the presence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing in a dairy herd located in Northern Italy. The feces of clinically healthy calves, their mothers, and the cows treated for mastitis, as well as water, environmental samples, and waste milk were collected and subjected to bacteriological culture on CHROMagar ESBL plates. A questionnaire was administered to identify risk factors.

Approach to Selective Dry Cow Therapy in Early Adopter Italian Dairy Farms: Why Compliance Is So Important.

Selective dry-cow therapy (SDCT) became mandatory in Italy on 28 January 2022. During 2020, a group of farms involved in a milk quality program began a pilot experiment with SDCT in order to understand its challenges and to identify areas for procedural improvements. The aim of this study was to describe the challenges and results of the SDCT in early adopters' herds with a special focus on treatment compliance.

Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci isolated from bovine milk in Italian dairy farms: a retrospective investigation.

Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are associated with bovine mastitis and increased milk somatic cell count (SCC) but their relationships with mammary gland health at the species level are not clearly defined. Regional differences have also been reported in their specific prevalence. The implementation of MALDI-TOF MS in milk microbiology is generating large and dependable datasets with the potential of providing useful epidemiological information.

gene sequence analysis can prevent misidentification of coagulase-negative strains and contribute to their control in dairy cow herds.

Accurate and precise differentiation of staphylococci isolated from milk is of importance for udder health management. In particular, the rapid and specific identification of plays an essential role in the prevention and treatment programs for bovine mastitis. Plasma gelatinization in coagulase assays is routinely used to discriminate from other species by detecting the presence of extracellular free staphylocoagulase.

Association between Mastitis Occurrence in Dairy Cows and Bedding Characteristics of Compost-Bedded Pack Barns.

Compost-bedded pack barns (CB) are receiving increasing attention as a housing system that can potentially improve the welfare of dairy cows. This study characterized the frequency and profile of pathogens isolated from clinical (CM) and subclinical (SCM) mastitis in dairy cows housed in CB. It evaluated the association between mastitis occurrence and bedding characteristics in CB systems.

Responsible antibiotic use labeling and consumers' willingness to buy and pay for fluid milk.

Concerns about antibiotic resistant infections in the United States have called for reduction of antibiotic use in livestock, including dairy cattle. Although effective in curbing antibiotic use, universal organic dairy farming would be impractical and unattainable due to its high land and premium demands. The US Department of Agriculture's organic certification, which completely eliminates antibiotic use in milk production, also raises animal welfare concerns, as it could discourage the use of antibiotics even to treat indicated diseases.

Relationship between total and differential quarter somatic cell counts at dry-off and early lactation.

Mastitis is a most common disease of dairy cows and causes tremendous economic loss to the dairy industry worldwide. Somatic cell counts (SCC) reflect the inflammatory response to infections and is a metric used as key indicator in mastitis screening programs, typically within the framework of national milk recording schemes. Besides the determination of total SCC, the differentiation of cell types has been described to be beneficial for a more definite description of the actual udder health status of dairy cows.

Different European Perspectives on the Treatment of Clinical Mastitis in Lactation.

As part of the European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Treatment (ENOVAT), a webinar on the topic "Mastitis Treatment in Lactation" was held, in which eight mastitis experts from different European countries (Spain, The Netherlands, Estonia, Ireland, Poland, Finland, Germany, and Italy) presented their treatment approaches for clinical mastitis in lactation. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic approaches to identify commonalities and differences. In all eight participating countries, the decision to start treatment is usually made by the veterinarians, while the farm personnel are responsible for treatment administration.

Understanding Antibiotic Resistance as a Perceived Threat towards Dairy Cattle through Beliefs and Practices: A Survey-Based Study of Dairy Farmers.

Antibiotic use is an important component in dairy herd management both to treat bacterial diseases and to maximize animal welfare. However, there is concern among scientists that antibiotic misuse and/or overuse by farmers might promote the emergence of resistant pathogens. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based questionnaire study with dairy farmers/managers in New York, USA to evaluate their (i) level of concern about antibiotic resistance and (ii) interest in adopting new judicious antibiotic use practices regarding mastitis treatment.

Gut microbiome modifications over time when removing in-feed antibiotics from the prophylaxis of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets.

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in pigs has mainly an infectious basis and control strategies are centred on antibiotics added to the diet. Given concerns on the spread of multi-resistant bacteria, it is necessary to develop alternative prophylactic approaches to control PWD in piglets. The most promising alternative strategies are based on substances that act indirectly on the bacteria by stimulating the immune system or by improving gut health.

Comparative secretome analysis of strains with different within-herd intramammary infection prevalence.

is a major pathogen causing intramammary infection and mastitis in dairy cows. genotypes (GT) can differ significantly in their ability to diffuse and persist in the herd; while the association of virulence gene carriage with epidemiological behavior remains unclear, a role for secreted proteins has been postulated. We characterized the secretome of six strains belonging to two genotypes with opposite within-herd prevalence, GTB (high) and GTS (low), corresponding to sequence types (ST) 8 and 398, by high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry and differential analysis with Proteome Discoverer.

Feeding Pre-weaned Calves With Waste Milk Containing Antibiotic Residues Is Related to a Higher Incidence of Diarrhea and Alterations in the Fecal Microbiota.

The cows receiving antibiotics for intra-mammary infection (IMI) produce milk that cannot be marketed. This is considered waste milk (WM), and a convenient option for farmers is using it as calf food. However, adding to the risk of selecting resistant bacteria, residual antibiotics might interfere with the gut microbiome development and influence gastrointestinal health.

New York State dairy veterinarians' perceptions of antibiotic use and resistance: A qualitative interview study.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) limits the ability to prevent and treat infection, making AMR one of the foremost threats to human and animal health. Animal agriculture's large use of antibiotics in food animals is an important factor in AMR. As such, policies to reduce antibiotic use and combat AMR in animal agriculture in the United States (US) have been in place or are developed.

Vacuum Dynamics as an Alternative Method for Detection of Bimodal Milk Ejection in Dairy Cows.

The primary objective of our study was to assess the ability of a vacuum recorder to detect the presence of bimodal milk flow curves in dairy cows compared with a portable milk flow meter. In a cross-sectional study, 241 individual cow milking observations were analyzed. We simultaneously collected (1) individual cow vacuum events during milking using portable vacuum recorders, and (2) individual cow milk flow curves by attaching a portable milk flow meter to the same milking unit.