Research Accomplishment Reports 2011

Mastitis Resistance to Enhance Dairy Food Safety

J.M. Bewley
Department of Animal and Food Sciences

 

Non-Technical Summary

Bovine mastitis is the most costly infectious disease currently affecting dairy cattle. While significant advances have been made in controlling some types of mastitis, the complex etiology of the disease and ongoing changes in dairy practices dictate that new and more effective methods for control and treatment be developed over time.

Single site studies are often limited in terms of expertise and cattle numbers. A multi-State project provides advantages in terms of increased numbers of herds and cattle as well as multiple levels of expertise.

2011 Project Description

The results of MMRP initiated studies will be disseminated through presentations at National meetings and through peer-reviewed journals, proceedings, abstracts, book chapters, theses, and extension publications. The results will also be used to develop short-courses for presentation at National meetings, such as the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and National Mastitis Council. The members of MMRP have a long-standing record of productivity and dissemination of data through a variety of avenues. Joint projects and collaborative initiatives have resulted in a large collection of isolates of bacterial pathogens that cause mastitis and a large amount of epidemiological data.

From these projects, an isolate bank and an epidemiological data set is being amassed and made available to MMRP members for research projects. This represents a resource that could not be compiled by one researcher or in one study. MMRP members will continue to share expertise, experimental protocols, reagents, and mastitis pathogen isolates.

2011 Impact

A MS student in Microbiology at Eastern Kentucky University (Erica Lynch) is conducting a project to assess antimicrobial resistance in pathogens responsible for causing bovine mastitis in Kentucky. This project is a field survey of multiple herds in Kentucky. A survey of Kentucky herds with annual SCC <250,000 was conducted in 2011 to identify management practices associated with low somatic cell count.

An economic dashboard decision support tool was developed to help dairy producers understand the economic impact of lowering SCC (www2.ca.uky.edu/afsdairy/MilkQualityCalculator).

A field survey of compost bedded pack barns was conducted including bacterial analysis of bedding material.

2011 Publications

Russell, R.A. and J.M. Bewley. 2011. Producer assessment of dairy extension programming in Kentucky. J. Dairy Sci. 94: 2637-2647.

Bewley, J.M. 2011. Extension programming in Kentucky to address somatic cell count challenges and opportunities. Abstract 170. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana.

Sterrett, A.E. and J.M. Bewley. 2011. Characterization of management practices utilized by low somatic cell count Kentucky dairy herds. Abstract M160. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana.

Black, R.A., J.L. Taraba, G.B. Day, F. A. Damasceno, M. C. Newman. K. A. Akers, and J.M. Bewley. 2011. Relationships among temperature, moisture, bacterial counts, and animal hygiene in compost bedded pack barns. Abstract 234. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana.