Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves

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dc.contributor.authorPetzer, Inge-Marieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKarzis, Joanneen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLesosky, Maiaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWatermeyer, Johannaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBadenhorst, Renetteen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-10-28T07:07:40Z
dc.date.available2015-10-28T07:07:40Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND:Heifers can calve down with intramammary infections (IMI) and udder damage. This will have a negative impact on their longevity, future milk yield and financial return. Co-housed pre-weaned calves that are fed fresh milk have the opportunity to suckle each other's teats and may infect udders of fellow heifer calves with pathogens present in milk. The prevalence of IMI in pregnant heifers in South Africa (SA) which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves, is not known. Quarter secretion samples from both pregnant heifers (n=2065) and dry cows (n=5365) were collected for microbiological analysis from eight SA dairy herds. All heifers tested in this study were co-housed pre-weaning and were fed fresh milk as calves. RESULTS: The prevalence of coagulase negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, environmental streptococci, coliforms and samples with no bacterial growth in heifers was 26%, 0.9%, 0.08%, 1.4%, 0.4% and 66%, respectively. The overall prevalence ratio between heifers and cows for Staphylococcus aureus IMI was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.98). Four of the individual herds had prevalence ratios of less than one (p<0.05), one herd had a prevalence ratio of 3.15 (95% CI: 1.52, 6.32), and the remaining 3 herds had a prevalence ratio not significantly different from 1.0. Marginally significant differences were found between Staphylococcus aureus IMI in pregnant heifers compared to cows in their second and later lactations (p=0.06, p=0.05, respectively) but no significant differences between heifers and cows in their first lactation. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Streptococcus agalactiae IMI in heifers came as a surprise, especially as herd infection rates were low. The high prevalence ratio of Staphylococcus aureus between heifers and cows in one herd warrants further investigation due to the potential danger of udder damage in a young cow at the start of her productive life. The IMI in heifers with host adapted pathogens can also act as a source of new IMI for lactating dairy cows.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationPetzer, I., Karzis, J., Lesosky, M., Watermeyer, J., & Badenhorst, R. (2013). Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves. <i>BMC Veterinary Research</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14475en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationPetzer, Inge-Marie, Joanne Karzis, Maia Lesosky, Johanna Watermeyer, and Renette Badenhorst "Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves." <i>BMC Veterinary Research</i> (2013) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14475en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationPetzer, I. M., Karzis, J., Lesosky, M., Watermeyer, J. C., & Badenhorst, R. (2013). Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves. BMC veterinary research, 9(1), 49.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Petzer, Inge-Marie AU - Karzis, Joanne AU - Lesosky, Maia AU - Watermeyer, Johanna AU - Badenhorst, Renette AB - BACKGROUND:Heifers can calve down with intramammary infections (IMI) and udder damage. This will have a negative impact on their longevity, future milk yield and financial return. Co-housed pre-weaned calves that are fed fresh milk have the opportunity to suckle each other's teats and may infect udders of fellow heifer calves with pathogens present in milk. The prevalence of IMI in pregnant heifers in South Africa (SA) which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves, is not known. Quarter secretion samples from both pregnant heifers (n=2065) and dry cows (n=5365) were collected for microbiological analysis from eight SA dairy herds. All heifers tested in this study were co-housed pre-weaning and were fed fresh milk as calves. RESULTS: The prevalence of coagulase negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, environmental streptococci, coliforms and samples with no bacterial growth in heifers was 26%, 0.9%, 0.08%, 1.4%, 0.4% and 66%, respectively. The overall prevalence ratio between heifers and cows for Staphylococcus aureus IMI was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.98). Four of the individual herds had prevalence ratios of less than one (p<0.05), one herd had a prevalence ratio of 3.15 (95% CI: 1.52, 6.32), and the remaining 3 herds had a prevalence ratio not significantly different from 1.0. Marginally significant differences were found between Staphylococcus aureus IMI in pregnant heifers compared to cows in their second and later lactations (p=0.06, p=0.05, respectively) but no significant differences between heifers and cows in their first lactation. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Streptococcus agalactiae IMI in heifers came as a surprise, especially as herd infection rates were low. The high prevalence ratio of Staphylococcus aureus between heifers and cows in one herd warrants further investigation due to the potential danger of udder damage in a young cow at the start of her productive life. The IMI in heifers with host adapted pathogens can also act as a source of new IMI for lactating dairy cows. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DO - 10.1186/1746-6148-9-49 DP - University of Cape Town J1 - BMC Veterinary Research LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves TI - Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14475 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14475
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-9-49
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationPetzer I, Karzis J, Lesosky M, Watermeyer J, Badenhorst R. Host adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calves. BMC Veterinary Research. 2013; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14475.en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltden_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Medicineen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.rightsThis is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licenseen_ZA
dc.rights.holder2013 Petzer et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltden_ZA
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0en_ZA
dc.sourceBMC Veterinary Researchen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcvetres/en_ZA
dc.subject.otherHeifer intramammary infectionsen_ZA
dc.subject.otherStaphylococcus aureusen_ZA
dc.subject.otherStreptococcus agalactiaeen_ZA
dc.subject.otherCo-housed calvesen_ZA
dc.subject.otherFresh milk rearing systemsen_ZA
dc.titleHost adapted intramammary infections in pregnant heifers which were co-housed and reared on fresh milk as calvesen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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