Risk factors for intramammary infections and subclinical mastitis in post-partum dairy heifers

Krömker, Volker; Pfannenschmidt, Florian; Helmke, Katherina; Andersson, Robby; Grabowski, Nils Th.

doi:10.1017/s0022029912000222

Cited by 16 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Regular access to pasture (reported on 58% of the farms included here) was found to be a statistically significant protective factor associated with a reduced risk of mastitis (OR = 0.73, P = 0.047), which corresponds favorably with a German study in heifers where keeping the animals permanently housed increased their odds of developing subclinical mastitis by a factor of 4.86 (P = 0.004; Krömker et al, 2012). Similarly, a North American study demonstrated an increased prevalence of mastitis in both Holstein and Jersey cows when kept indoors compared with those permitted access to pasture (Washburn et al, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Relationship between the probability of veterinary-diagnosed bovine mastitis occurring and farm management risk factors on small dairy farms in Austria

Firth

Laubichler

Schleicher

et al. 2019

Journal of Dairy Science

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Bovine mastitis is the most frequently reported disease among dairy cows worldwide. Treatment of udder disease often involves the use of antimicrobial substances, which is difficult to justify with respect to their possible effect on the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Prevention of udder disease is therefore always preferable to treatment. The study presented here statistically analyzed the probability of mastitis occurring during 3,049 lactation periods on 208 farms and attempted to ascertain which on-farm management factors contributed to the occurrence of this udder disease in Austria. Farm management was assessed via online surveys completed by 211 farmers (211/251; response rate = 84.1%) as well as national milk performance recorders observing milking technique and herd veterinarians evaluating farm hygiene levels. Veterinary treatment records were used as a basis for mastitis reporting. The analysis was carried out using a generalized linear mixed model. The study population was not randomized but was part of a larger observational study. More than three fourths of the study farms were run conventionally, and the remainder were organic. Freestalls (and straw yards) made up 66% of the study population, and 34% of farms had tiestalls. Herd size ranged from 8 to 94 dairy cows (mean = 26.9; median = 21), with the most common breed (74% of all cows) being dual-purpose Simmental (Austrian Fleckvieh). A mastitis risk of 14.4% was reported via veterinary treatment records. The following factors were shown to be associated with a reduction in the risk of mastitis occurring: regular access to pasture (odds ratio, OR = 0.73), automatic milking machine shut-off (OR 0.67), and access to feed immediately after milking (OR = 0.43). Detrimental effects, which were likely to increase the probability of mastitis occurring, included lactation number (OR = 1.18), farming part time (OR = 1.55), and udders on the farm being classed by herd veterinarians as medium to severely soiled (OR = 1.47). The study presented here was able to confirm several management factors recommended to reduce the probability of mastitis occurring during a cow's lactation period, with particular relevance for the small dairy herds common to Austria.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Relationship between the probability of veterinary-diagnosed bovine mastitis occurring and farm management risk factors on small dairy farms in Austria

Firth

Laubichler

Schleicher

et al. 2019

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…The association between the prevalence of mastitis and age at first calving was in disagreement with Kromker et al (2012), who reported that older heifers at first calving were more likely than younger heifers to have mastitis.…”

Section: Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…For most of the heifer's life, the mammary gland has been immature and it would seem less likely to be in close physical contact to the environment, as contrasted with multiparous cattle. There are a few risk factors identified by several researchers that influence the prevalence of heifer clinical mastitis (HCM) and heifer subclinical mastitis (HSCM) such as herd size, floor type, juvenile intersucking, removing supernumerary teats, age at first calving, location of close-to-calving heifers, number of calves, udder and/or teat wounds, unhygienic udder postcalving, milk production, blocked milk secretion during the first milking, and oxytocin administration necessary for the first milking (Parker et al 2007a;Kromker et al 2012;Santman-Berends et al 2012). However, mastitis is a multifactorial disease, requiring exposure to a combination of environmental and pathogenic factors and with variable responses between animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prevalence of heifer mastitis and its associated risk factors in Huanggang, Central China

Yang

Shen

et al. 2014

Trop Anim Health Prod

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The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of heifer clinical mastitis (HCM) and heifer subclinical mastitis (HSCM), isolate HCM-causing bacteria, and assess the association of some risk factors in Huanggang, Central China. A total of 1,374 lactating heifers from three dairy farms were examined in the present study; 22.64% of heifers were positive for mastitis, out of which, 3.86 and 18.78% were with HCM and HSCM, respectively. Of the 67 HCM samples, 91.05% were single growth, 7.46% mixed growth, and 1.49% no bacterial growth. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) accounted for 30.98% of the isolates followed by Escherichia coli (29.58%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.9%), and Streptococcus uberis (11.27%). Logistic regression analyses showed that heifer milk yield lower than 3 L had the highest prevalence of HCM compared to heifer milk yield of more than 3 L (P < 0.01), and prevalence of HCM was significantly high in heifers with the presence of teat lesions (P < 0.01). Moreover, the heifer milk yield lower than 3 L had the highest prevalence of HSCM compared to heifer milk yield of more than 3 L (P < 0.01). These two factors were significantly associated with the occurrence of heifer mastitis, which needs to be considered in the prevention and control strategies of the disease.

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“…IMI prior to calving and in the early lactation may interfere with the development of the mammary glands, the future milk production, udder health, and related culling hazards [12]. An IMI at calving also increases the risk of clinical mastitis (CM) within the first week after calving [13]. Edinger et al [14] found that mastitis prior to calving and mastitis within the first week after calving increased the risk of further cases of mastitis and culling during the first 45 days of lactation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intramammary Infections in Heifers—Time of Onset and Associated Risk Factors

Nitz

Krömker

Klocke

et al. 2020

Animals

Self Cite

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To reduce the negative effects of mastitis in dairy heifers in early lactation on the future milking performance, the aim of this study was to define the time-related period of intramammary infections and to relate this to risk factors at heifer and quarter level for intramammary infections and subclinical mastitis. In total, 279 German Holstein Frisian heifers in three farms in Northern and Eastern Germany were included in this study. Quarter milk samples for cytomicrobiological examination were collected 3 ± 1 days after calving and 17 ± 3 days after calving, and risk factors at heifer and quarter level associated with intramammary infections and clinical mastitis were recorded during the trial period. Data were analyzed using logistic regression procedures and odds ratios were calculated. Calving at older ages increased the odds of intramammary infections with non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) and coryneforms 17 ± 3 days after calving compared to heifers calving at a younger age. Detaching of milking cups during milking is a risk factor for new infections between day 3 ± 1 and 17 ± 3 postpartum. The milk yield after calving is associated with a decrease in intramammary infections with environmental pathogens and clinical mastitis. A high milk yield assists the development of udder edema with an increased risk of intramammary infections with NAS and coryneforms. An increased somatic cell count (SCC) after calving increased the odds of intramammary infections with contagious pathogens 17 ± 3 days postpartum. The early lactation has an important influence on udder health and intramammary infections postpartum in dairy heifers. Udder quarters eliminated pathogens during early lactation by 6.9% for cases in this study. New infections manifest themselves up until 17 ± 3 days postpartum, especially with Corynebacterium spp. and NAS. In total, 82.9% of the infected quarters showed new infections with another pathogen species 17 ± 3 days postpartum than 3 ± 1 days postpartum. In conclusion, the early lactation has an important influence on udder health and intramammary infections postpartum in heifers with the possibility that udder quarters eliminate pathogens, but also the danger that new infections manifest themselves. Thus, the prevention of new infections by minimizing the associated risk factors is of great importance.

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Risk factors for intramammary infections and subclinical mastitis in post-partum dairy heifers

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

Relationship between the probability of veterinary-diagnosed bovine mastitis occurring and farm management risk factors on small dairy farms in Austria

Relationship between the probability of veterinary-diagnosed bovine mastitis occurring and farm management risk factors on small dairy farms in Austria

The prevalence of heifer mastitis and its associated risk factors in Huanggang, Central China

Intramammary Infections in Heifers—Time of Onset and Associated Risk Factors

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