Innovative Elastomers with Antimicrobial Activity May Decrease Infection Risks during Milking
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2023
Citazione:
Innovative Elastomers with Antimicrobial Activity May Decrease Infection Risks during Milking / G. Meroni, V. Sora, F. Zaghen, G. Laterza, P.A.M. Martino, A. Zecconi. - In: PATHOGENS. - ISSN 2076-0817. - 12:12(2023 Dec), pp. 1431.1-1431.13. [10.3390/pathogens12121431]
Abstract:
Contagious pathogens are very costly to dairy herds, and they may have zoonotic and
reverse-zoonotic potentials and may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. One of
the most important risk factors for spreading these infections is milking, when liner contamination
may transfer the pathogens from infected to healthy cows. There is no effective protocol to prevent
the transmission of infection without the segregation of infected cows. Recently, the availability of
elastomers with patented antimicrobial components in their formulations has allowed the exploration
of alternative methods to reduce the risk of infection. Two different types of elastomers (rubber
and silicone) and nine different formulations were challenged with three major mastitis pathogens
(S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and E. coli). The results that were obtained in this study were interesting and
unexpected. Indeed, to our knowledge, this is the first study to show that basic rubber materials have
intrinsic antimicrobial activity. Silicone elastomers did not exhibit the same levels of bactericidal activ-
ity, although they did exhibit some antibacterial capacity. A significant decrease in bacterial survival
curves was observed for all the formulations tested when antimicrobial components were added. The
different results observed for the various products are likely due to the different formulations and
diverse manufacturing processes. The availability of these new materials that significantly reduce
the bacterial load on the liner surface may reduce the risk of spreading intramammary infections
during milking. This would be an important step forward in achieving global sustainability of dairy
herds, consistent with the objectives of One Health, by reducing the risks of zoonotic diseases and
antimicrobial treatments.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
One Health; mastitis; antimicrobial resistance; elastomers; milking; liners
Elenco autori:
G. Meroni, V. Sora, F. Zaghen, G. Laterza, P.A.M. Martino, A. Zecconi
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