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Intramammary infections in heifers during early lactation following intramammary infusion of pirlimycin hydrochloride or penicillin-novobiocin at the first milking after parturition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2007

Stephen P Oliver
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
Susan I Headrick
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
Barbara E Gillespie
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
Mark J Lewis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
David L Johnson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
Kenneth C Lamar
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
Hugh Moorehead
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
Henry H Dowlen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
John W Hallberg
Affiliation:
Pfizer Animal Health, Kalamazoo MI 49001, USA

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine whether intramammary antibiotic treatment of heifer mammary glands following the first milking after calving was effective for reducing the percentage of mammary quarters infected during early lactation. Jersey and Holstein heifers from two research herds were assigned to one of three treatment groups: (1) no intramammary infusion following the first milking after parturition, (2) intramammary infusion of all quarters with pirlimycin hydrochloride following the first milking after parturition and (3) intramammary infusion of all quarters with novobiocin sodium plus penicillin G procaine following the first milking after parturition. Almost 93% of Jersey heifers (40/43) and 73·1% of quarters (125/171) were infected at the first milking. Almost 77% of quarters (33/43) were cured following treatment with pirlimycin, 61·8% (21/34) were cured following treatment with penicillin-novobiocin and 39·6% (19/48) of infections were eliminated spontaneously in the untreated control group. Significantly fewer infections were observed in pirlimycin or penicillin-novobiocin treated mammary glands of Jersey heifers during early lactation than in untreated control mammary glands. Almost 89% of Holstein heifers (32/36) and 52·8% of quarters (76/144) were infected at the first milking. About 57% (12/21) of quarters were cured following treatment with pirlimycin, 41·4% (12/29) were cured following treatment with penicillin-novobiocin and 23·1% (6/26) of infections were eliminated spontaneously in the untreated negative control group. Significantly fewer infections were observed in pirlimycin treated mammary glands of Holstein heifers during early lactation than in untreated control mammary glands. However, no significant differences were observed following penicillin-novobiocin treatment of Holstein heifers after the first milking of lactation compared with untreated control quarters. Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Streptococcus uberis and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp dysgalactiae were isolated most frequently in heifers from both herds.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2007

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