Bovine Mastitis: Recommendations for a Control Program Based on Preventive Medicine

Source: Public Health Reports (1896-1970), Vol. 75, No. 10 (Oct., 1960), pp. 970-972
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
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Public Health Reports (1896-1970)

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Recommendations for a control program
based on preventive medicine

Bovine Mastitis

IN SPITE of improvements in dairy hus- It has been demonstrated also that milk from
bandry practices, the availability of a wider cows with mastitis is low in nutritional value
range of therapeutic agents, and the efforts and quality. During the past decade the wide-
of health and agriculture authorities toward spread use of antibiotic therapy in mastitis,
control, bovine mastitis continues as a major with the resultant antibiotic residues in milk
problem in the dairy industry. The problem and milk products from these treated animals,
is twofold, encompassing both public health has presented still another possible health
hazards to man and economic losses to the hazard. Nonsensitive individuals may become
dairyman. sensitized and hypersensitive persons may have
A variety of micro-organisms that produce reactions.
disease in man also inhabit the bovine udder Also of importance is the economic loss
and cause mastitis. Although certain strepto- caused by bovine mastitis, which is estimated to
cocci and staphylococci are considered to be be more than a quarter of one billion dollars
the primary infectious causes of mastitis, nu- annually. This loss is due to lower milk pro-
merous other organisms have been shown to duction, a reduction in the productive life of
be involved, such as Escherichia coli, Coryne- the affected cows, mortality of some animals,
bacterium pyogenes, Pasteurella multocida, and, finally, the expense of veterinary services
Mycobacterium bovis, and many others (see and drugs.
list of infectious causes).
Human infection may result from direct con- Predisposing Causes

tact with the infected animal or consumption of There are many predisposing or initiating
raw or inadequately pasteurized milk contain- causes of bovine mastitis that are difficult to
ing pathogenic organisms. Of further public control, particularly in the small herds where
health importance are the staphylococcal enter- dairying is only one of several farming activi-
otoxins in milk which are not destroyed by ties. Such contributing factors include:
pasteurization. As a result, fluid milk, dried
* Sloppy, muddy barnyards.
milk, and cheese have been incriminated in out- * Unsanitary milking barns.
breaks of food poisoning in man. * Inadequate, drafty shelter.
* Injuries or bruises caused by faulty milking ma-
These recommendations were prepared by Dr.chines, James freezing or chapping of teats, and structural
H. Steele, chief, and Dr. Raymond Zinn, Dr. Robert features such as high doorsills, narrow, short stalls,
protruding nails, and poor fences.
Courter, and Mildred M. Galton of the Veteri-
* Improper milking practices such as incomplete or
nary Public Health Section, Communicable Disease irregular milking, unclean machines, failure to dip
Center, Public Health Service, with the advice of teat cups after use on each cow, inaccurate pressure
Dr. William Pounden, Ohio Agricultural Experi- gauge or pressure too high for type of teat cup used,
leaving machine on cow too long, failure to segregate
mental Station, Wooster; Dr. John Helwig, Dr.
cows, milking cows in improper order, improper
David Jones, and Dr. Charles Reid, Department of
cleansing of cow before milking, and "wet stripping."
Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State Uni- * Physical abnormalities of udder or teats.
versity, Columbus; and Dr. Joe W. Atkinson, Milk * Age of cow.
and Food, Program, Public Health Service. * Hereditary factors.

970 Public Health Reports

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 * Lack of attention or treatment during "dry lend itself to effective sanitation measures with
periods." the most efficient use of labor. Replacement
In maintaining an adequate inspection pro- stock should be carefully selected to minimize
gram, there must be complete cooperation be- the opportunities of introducing infection into
tween the dairyman, the veterinarian, the proc- the milking herd. Such a continuous program,
essor, and the health department. Neither the with careful attention to feeding and milking
prevalence of mastitis nor economic losses can practices, is essential in the maintenance of a
be significantly reduced by treatment of acute healthy herd.
cases alone. Any effective program for the Infected herds should be followed closely
control of mastitis must be based on considera- until prevalence of disease and losses are re-
tion of the total herd. duced to a minimum. Otherwise, visits to the
herds should be scheduled at regular intervals
so as to maintain this minimum rate.
Recommended Preventive Program
Such a system of professional care will assure
A routine, continuous check or supervision identification of chronic and acute cases, ac-
system by a qualified individual has been ap- curate diagnosis, advice on procedures and con-
plied in some of the larger dairies and has tinuing remedial measures for infected herds,
proved both successful and profitable. It pro- and specific treatment for infected cows. Also,
vides periodic examination of all milking and it will provide dairymen with long-range ad-
dry cows in the herd, including all aspects of vice on heredity, breeding programs, nutrition,
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. If a and other factors related to herd health. A
similar system could be applied in the smaller healthy herd assures wholesome, good quality
dairies, it should be equally effective. Factors milk and thus reduces public health hazards
to consider in the continuous check system are: and economic losses.
Biological factors. One infected cow in a
Preventive Methods
herd constitutes a potential hazard, and labora-
Effective Controls
tory examination is essential to determine the
Institute a periodic examination by a veterinarian
etiological agent and effectively cope with it.
of all milking and dry cows in the herd:
Environmental factors. For the most part,
1. To determine general health of each. cow.
environmental factors which influence the 2. To examine udder for lumps and injuries.
health of the herd may be controlled by the 3. To collect milk samples from all cows in the
application of good sanitation and milking milking string foir laboratory examination.

practices as well as by properly designed and 4. To discuss and advise on herd practices, sani-
tation, nutrition, and other factors related to mastitis
maintained equipment. The health of workers
prevention and control.
who have close contact with the herd must be
considered also in an effort to prevent trans- Segregation of Infected Animals
Isolate cows with mastitis and milk separately (if
mission of infections from man to animal.
practical) or milk cows in the following order:
Herd management. The dairying operation
1. Cows with no evidence of mastitis.
should be planned to provide satisfactorily con- 2. Cows with normal udders, but s,hedding mastitis
structed housing and equipment which will bacteria as shown by culture of milk samples.

Infectious Causes

Streptococcus agalactiae Pseudomonas aeruginosa Paracolon bacteria

Vol. 75, No. 10, October 1960 971

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 3. Cows with udders showing some physical evi- Good Herd Management
dence of past or present mastitis. 1. Use home-raised heifers as replacements; or have
4. Cows with acutely affected or badly damaged each purchased replacement thoroughly examined by
udders as a result of severe infections.
a veterinarian, have milk samples from each quarter
of the udder analyzed, and isolate the animal until
Disposition of Mastitic Ma?lmary Secretions
sure she is free of mastitis.
In all cases of disease, suspected disease, or treat- 2. Construct milking barn to allow plenty of stand-
ment, obtain the advice of the veterinarian on dis- ing room; have no steps at all or very low steps at
position of milk from the affected cows. doorways.
1. Dispose of mammary secretions abnormal in ap- 3. Keep barnyards, barn, and pastures free of mud,
pearance or from obviously infected quarters so they trash, debris, machinery, and other sources of filth
are not accessible to animals or used in any way for or injury.
human consumption.
4. Be sure stall beds are of adequate size, neither
2. Discard from market milk supply secretion from too narrow nor too short, with partitions or curbs
quarters infused with antibiotics for at least 72 hours between cows.
following last infusion. 5. Provide plenty of clean bedding, preferably straw
or a mixture containing straw.
Salaitation and Good Milking Practices
6. Clean and disinfect cow beds periodically.
1. Avoid sloppy and muddy barnyards. 7. Drying off cows:
2. Maintain milking barn in clean condition. (a) Reduce grain and water intake of heavy
3. Keep the udder trimmed of long hair. producers.
4. Have a regular milking schedule. (b) Stop milking, except to relieve the udder
5. About 1 minute before milking, wash udder with when it seems too full.
a warm solution containing at least 200 ppm available (e) If mastitis is present, keep pus or infected
chlorine. Use a separate clean towel and do not secretions milked out; treat.
dip or place a used towel back in the, solution. (d) Allow 8 weeks as a minimum dry period, and
6. Use a strip cup or plate. as much as 3 months for cows known to have
7. Use the milking machine properly; follow manu- had mastitis.
facturer's instructions. (e) Observe frequently during the dry period,
8. Keep teat cup liners clean and in good repair. and obtain veterinary advice and treatment
9. Put machine on cow as soon as the "let down" when needed.
occurs; take it off as soon as the milk is removed 8. Remove from the herd cows which are in heat
from the udder. to prevent the animals from mounting each other and
10. Strip rapidly by machine or hand. bruising their udders.
11. Immediately after milking, dip teats in an ap- 9. Do not allow calves to suck each other.
proved mild antiseptic solution or swab teat ends with 10. Do not feed calves raw milk from cows with
mild antiseptic. mastitis.
12. After removal from each cow, dip teat cups in 11. Feed calves pasteurized milk.
lukewarm water or antiseptic solution, then in a fresh 12. Reduce the concentrated feed intake of a cow
warm chlorine (200 to 250 ppm) or other approved with mastitis.
antiseptic solution. 13. Be sure that diagnosis is specific, that treat-
13. Wash hands frequently; do not permit "wet- ment is correct, effective in amount, and continued
hand" milking. for sufficient length of time, and that all other needed
14. Disinfect stalls where cows with mastitis are remedial action is carried out for prevention of mas-
kept. titis within the entire herd.

972 Public Health Reports

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