Evaluation of the California Mastitis Test to determine under health status of early lactation dairy cows

Quarter milk bacteriology results of samples collected within the first week of calving were used to calculate the test characteristics of the California Mastitis Test (CMT) that estimate the udder health status of fresh dairy cows. Over 1,200 quarters were both cultured and had a CMT performed. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the CMT was 68.8% and 71.5%, respectively. Using a cutpoint of any CMT reaction as a positive test and examining the results by various days in milk, the highest sensitivity and specificity occurred at day four (82.4% and 80.6%, respectively). The CMT has the potential to be a useful tool for monitoring udder health in fresh cows.; Dairy Day, 2002, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2002

Association of cow and quarter-level factors at a dry off and new intramammary infections in the dry period

Data from 300 cows and 1,178 quarters were analyzed to determine factors associated with new intramammary infections (IMI). Teatends that were cracked and teats that did not close during the dry period were 1.7 and 1.8 times more likely to develop new IMI, respectively. The level of milk production on the last day of lactation significantly influenced new IMI and teat canal closure. More (P\u3c0.05) cows (36%) producing $21 kg of milk developed new IMI than cows (18%) producing less. When milk production was 21 kg or higher, teat canals were 1.8 times more likely to remain open.; Dairy Day, 2002, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 2002

Конституційний статус вітчизняної прокуратури: перспективи подальшого розвитку

Статья посвящена современным конституционно-правовым проблемам формирования и развития статуса прокуратуры Украины. В ней проанализировано основные факторы, которые имели влияние на процесс совершенствования организационных и функциональных основ деятельности органов отечественной прокуратуры в нынешних условиях. Особенное внимание уделено значению международных стандартов определения роли прокуратуры в демократическом обществе. Ключевые слова: Конституционная модель, Декларация о государственном суверенитете, Конституция, Генеральный прокурор Украины, институт прокуратуры.The article is devoted the modern constitutional-legal problems of forming and development of status of office of public prosecutor of Ukraine. Basic factors which had an influence on the process of perfection of organizational and functional bases of activity of organs of domestic office of public prosecutor in present terms are analysed in it. The special attention is spared the value of international standards of decision of role of office of public prosecutor in democratic society. Key words: Constitutional model, Declaration about state sovereignty, Constitution, Prosecutor general of Ukraine, institute of office of public prosecutor

Preinfection in vitro chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and expression of CD11/CD18 receptors and their predictive capacity on the outcome of mastitis induced in dairy cows with Escherichia coli.

Four to 6 wk after parturition, 12 cows in second, fourth, or fifth lactation were experimentally infected in one gland with Escherichia coli. The capacity of chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and expression of CD11/CD18 receptors to predict the severity of IMI was measured. Bacterial counts in the infected quarter, expressed as area under the curve, and residual milk production in the uninfected quarters were compared to determine severity of the infection. Although these two outcome parameters were highly negatively correlated, regression models with preinfection tests for leukocyte function fitted best with bacterial counts as an outcome parameter. Of the preinfection tests for leukocyte function, chemotaxis best predicted the outcome of the IMI that had been experimentally induced by E. coli. The number of circulating peripheral leukocytes just prior to inoculation was used to predict 52 and 45% of the severity of IMI for bacterial counts and residual milk production, respectively. As a categorical variable, parity predicted 75 and 56% of the severity of IMI expressed as bacterial counts and residual milk production, respectively. Because of the strong effect of parity on the outcome of the experimentally induced mastitis, analysis was performed to discriminate between second parity cows and older cows. Significant differences were found for the number of circulating peripheral leukocytes and for the expression of CD11b/CDl8 and CD11c/CD18 receptors between younger and older cows

Genetic associations for pathogen-specific clinical mastitis and patterns of peaks in somatic cell count

Genetic associations were estimated between pathogen-specific cases of clinical mastitis (CM), lactational average somatic cell score (LACSCS), and patterns of peaks in somatic cell count (SCC) which were based on deviations from the typical lactation curve for SCC. The dataset contained test-day records on SCC in 94 781 lactations of 25416 cows of different parities. Out of these 94 781 lactations, 41 828 lactations had recordings on occurrence of pathogen-specific CM and on SCC, and 52 953 lactations had recordings on SCC only. A total of 5 324 lactations with cases of CM were recorded. Analysed pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, and culture-negative samples. Pattern definitions were based on three or five consecutive test-day recordings of SCC. They differentiated between short or longer periods of increased SCC, and also between lactations with and without recovery. Occurrence of pathogen-specific CM and presence of patterns of peaks in SCC were both scored as binary traits. Variance components for sire, maternal grandsire, and permanent animal effects were estimated using AS-REML. The estimated heritability for overall CM was 0.04, and similar heritabilities for pathogen-specific CM were estimated. Heritabilities for the patterns of peaks in SCC ranged from 0.01 to 0.06. Heritabilities for LACSCS were 0.07 to 0.08. Genetic correlations with patterns of peaks in SCC differed for each pathogen. Generally, genetic correlations between pathogen-specific CM and patterns of peaks in SCC were stronger than the correlations with LACSCS. This suggests that genetic selection purely on diminishing presence of peaks in SCC would decrease the incidence of pathogen-specific CM more effectively than selecting purely on lower LACSC

Sources of Klebsiella and Raoultella species on dairy farms: Be careful where you walk

Klebsiella spp. are a common cause of mastitis, milk loss, and culling on dairy farms. Control of Klebsiella mastitis is largely based on prevention of exposure of the udder to the pathogen. To identify critical control points for mastitis prevention, potential Klebsiella sources and transmission cycles in the farm environment were investigated, including oro-fecal transmission, transmission via the indoor environment, and transmission via the outdoor environment. A total of 305 samples was collected from 3 dairy farms in upstate New York in the summer of 2007, and included soil, feed crops, feed, water, rumen content, feces, bedding, and manure from alleyways and holding pens. Klebsiella spp. were detected in 100% of rumen samples, 89% of water samples, and approximately 64% of soil, feces, bedding, alleyway, and holding pen samples. Detection of Klebsiella spp. in feed crops and feed was less common. Genotypic identification of species using rpoB sequence data showed that Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common species in rumen content, feces, and alleyways, whereas Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella variicola, and Raoultella planticola were the most frequent species among isolates from soil and feed crops. Random amplified polymorphic DNA-based strain typing showed heterogeneity of Klebsiella spp. in rumen content and feces, with a median of 4 strains per 5 isolates. Observational and bacteriological data support the existence of an oro-fecal transmission cycle, which is primarily maintained through direct contact with fecal contamination or through ingestion of contaminated drinking water. Fecal shedding of Klebsiella spp. contributes to pathogen loads in the environment, including bedding, alleyways, and holding pens. Hygiene of alleyways and holding pens is an important component of Klebsiella control on dairy farms

Efficacy of vaccination on Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci intramammary infection dynamics in 2 dairy herds.

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate vaccine efficacy of a commercial vaccine (Startvac, Hipra Spain) aimed at reducing intramammary infections (IMI) with Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci under field conditions. During the 21-mo duration of the study, 1,156 lactations from 809 cows were enrolled in 2 herds. During the first phase of the trial, all cows that were due to calve were vaccinated until approximately 50% of cows in the milking herd were vaccinated (at ~6mo). At that point, when 50% vaccination coverage was reached, cows that were due to calve were randomly assigned to be vaccinated or left as negative controls. Cure rate, rate of new infection, prevalence, and duration of infections were analyzed. Vaccination resulted in a moderate reduction in incidence of new staphylococcal IMI and a more pronounced reduction in duration of IMI associated with reduction of the basic reproduction ratio of Staph. aureus by approximately 45% and of coagulase-negative staphylococci by approximately 35%. The utilization of vaccine in combination with other infection-control procedures, such as excellent milking procedures, treatment, segregation, and culling of known infected cattle, will result in an important reduction in incidence and duration of intramammary staphylococcal infections