Association between Mastitis Occurrence in Dairy Cows and Bedding Characteristics of Compost-Bedded Pack Barns
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2023
Citazione:
Association between Mastitis Occurrence in Dairy Cows and Bedding Characteristics of Compost-Bedded Pack Barns / G. Freu, B. Luis Nery Garcia, T. Tomazi, G. Siqueira Di Leo, L. Schneider Gheller, V. Bronzo, P. Moroni, M. Veiga Dos Santos. - In: PATHOGENS. - ISSN 2076-0817. - 12:4(2023), pp. 583.1-583.13. [10.3390/pathogens12040583]
Abstract:
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. Over six months, seven dairy herds were visited monthly for milk and bedding sample
collections. Milk samples from mastitis cases were submitted to microbiological identification by
matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF MS). Bedding samples were
submitted to physical-chemical (pH, organic matter, moisture, and carbon to nitrogen ratio) and
microbiological counting (total bacterial counts, coliforms, streptococci, and staphylococci) analyses.
Regression analysis was used to determine the association between mastitis occurrence and CB
characteristics. Our results showed that Escherichia coli and environmental streptococci were the
most frequently isolated pathogens from CM cases, while Staphylococcus chromogenes and contagious
pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae) were the most commonly isolated from
SCM cases. Bedding moisture content was positively associated with the incidence of CM. The
bedding carbon to nitrogen ratio was negatively associated with the incidence of SCM, and the
bedding total bacteria counts tended to be associated with the incidence of SCM. Bedding counts of
coliforms positively associated with the prevalence of SCM. Our results can support decision-makers
in the dairy industry seeking strategies for bedding management and mastitis control.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
compost barn; clinical mastitis; subclinical mastitis; dairy cows; bedding characteristics
Elenco autori:
G. Freu, B. Luis Nery Garcia, T. Tomazi, G. Siqueira Di Leo, L. Schneider Gheller, V. Bronzo, P. Moroni, M. Veiga Dos Santos
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