Prototheca sp. Outbreak of Bovine Mastitis

Abstract

Summary Prototheca sp., a colourless algae, is quite common in dairy environments, particularly in wet areas contaminated with manure. The main purpose of this paper is to describe an outbreak of clinical bovine mastitis in an 86‐cow dairy herd in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Prototheca sp., an achlorophyllous algae, were isolated on blood agar (incubated for 24 h at 37 °C) from 11 quarters of seven lactating Holstein cows, and from one quarter of a cow at the end of the dry period. Treatments were applied, but there was only a microbiological cure, not a functional one. Diagnosis of Prototheca sp. in any of the cows in the herd indicates a herd problem. Infected animals usually have markedly reduced milk production and granulamatous changes often occur in the mammary gland. All sources of contact between the teat ends and drainage water or damp areas should be corrected. An all‐out effort for strict sanitation, including during milking, should be made so that the teat ends will not become contaminated.

Pathophysiology: Review of the microbiological, pathological, and clinical aspects of bovine mastitis caused by the algaPrototheca zopfii

“…The most common clinical sign is the watery appearance of milk, which contains flakes and lumps. However, in addition to the pronounced decrease in milk production, in most cases only the prolonged elevation of the SCC indicates that a quarter is infected (subclinical mastitis) (4,12,13). Based on its clinical characteristics, Prototheca mastitis cannot be distinguished from mastitis of bacterial origin.…”

“…Because of its extremely high costs and because of veterinary public health considerations, this treatment procedure is not applicable in dairy cows. Only a temporary decrease in severity of clinical signs and degree of alga shedding could be achieved by routine use of various antimicrobials in dairy cows (4,13,25). Thimerosal resulted in 100% microbiological cure.…”

“…Mastitis caused by P. zopfii is most often recognized as a chronic, symptom-less process with very high somatic cell count (SCC) (over 106/m1); however, acute, clinical mastitis may also occur (2,13,48). The tissues of the lactating udder are highly susceptible to P. zopfii infection.…”

“…Cows in the first few weeks of lactation seem to be especially susceptible to natural infection (13,15,20,51). Although mixed infection with bacteria (mainly Staphylococus aureus, Streptococcus spp.)…”

Cutaneous and Nasal Protothecosis in a Goat

“…were isolated from cases of mastitis in cows in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sã o Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná , Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Pernambuco and Goiás. [2][3][4][5] Human cases were also reported. 14 The objective of this article is to report a case of protothecosis in a goat in northeastern Brazil.…”