Identification of etiological agents of bovine clinical mastitis and the source of infection on a farm in Córrego Fundo, Minas Gerais

Abstract

Bovine mastitis is a multifactorial inflammatory disease of the mammary gland that has a significant economic impact on the dairy industry, resulting in high treatment costs, loss of production and milk quality, as well as adverse effetcs on health and well-being of cows. This study aimed to identify the causative agents of clinical mastitis on a farm in Córrego Fundo-MG, Brazil, and determine the source of infection. Microbiological analyses were conducted on milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis, as well as from various locations within the farm environment using the SmartColor® culture medium (OnFarm) to identify the microorganisms present in each sample. The results demonstrated that Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Escherichia coli were the primary causative agents of clinical mastitis and were the most frequent in the analyzed environment. The presence of these pathogens unequivocally indicates that the mastitis issue on this farm is probably environmental. This can be attributed to the behavior of the agents involved, the way mastitis manifests itself, and the identification of the pathogens in farm environment.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/interdiinovationscrese-092