Bovine mastitis is an important and costly disease to dairy cattle. Diagnostic methods usually performed in Brazil are somatic cell counts (SCC) and milk microbiology. Low bacteria shedding in milk implies no colony growth in microbiological tests and false negative results. Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus are principal pathogens of mixed mastitis. However, S. agalactiae has a higher bacterial release from the mammary gland than S. aureus, affecting microbiological sensitivity to diagnose S. aureus. This study aimed to estimate the SCC and total bacterial count (TBC) from cows according to pathogen isolated in milk and to evaluate variation in S. aureus diagnosis by a microbiological test during S. agalactiae treatment, which is called blitz therapy. Both S. agalactiae and S. aureus presented high SCC means, although S. agalactiae showed shedding of bacteria 2.3 times greater than S. aureus. Microbiological sensitivity to S. aureus increased for 5 months during S. agalactiae treatment. The prevalence of S. agalactiae fell after 5 months of therapeutic procedures. The prevalence of S. aureus increased to 39.0. The results showed that due to high sensitivity, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) could be used at the beginning of blitz therapy with the goal of S. agalactiae eradication from the dairy herd.

This study examined the effects of low frequency milking on the concentrations of antimicrobial components in goat milk. Sixteen goats were divided into two groups of eight each: milking once every 2 d three times (for six days, three times group) or five times (for 10 days, five times group). On other days, milking was performed once daily. Milk was collected, and milk yield, somatic cell count (SCC), and the concentrations of some antimicrobial proteins such as lactoferrin (LF), S100A7, IgA, and sodium ions (Na+) in milk were measured. Milk yield significantly decreased in both the groups during the low-milking frequency period, followed by an increase above the low frequency milking period in both groups. In contrast, SCC and LF concentrations in milk increased in both groups during the low frequency milking period. The concentration of S100A7 in milk temporarily decreased after the low frequency milking period, followed by a significant increase. The S100A7 concentration during this period was higher in the five times group than in the three times group. These results indicated that low frequency milking induced a gradual decrease in milk yield and a concomitant increase in antimicrobial components, such as LF and S100A7, in milk. This increase in the antimicrobial components may be useful in preventing mastitis.

The effects of parity and somatic cell count in milk (SCC) threshold on the udder morphology, milkability traits, and milk composition was evaluated in 41 Canarian goats in mid-lactation. The animals were divided according to parity (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), and a SCC threshold of 2000 × 103 cells/mL in milk was set to evaluate the effect of this factor on the different measured parameters. Results showed that primiparous goats had the udder smaller and less distended than multiparous goats, but no differences were detected on milk flow parameters. Furthermore, SCC and total bacterial count (TBC) tended to be higher when the parity increased. On the other hand, goats with SCC ≤ 2000 × 103 had higher cistern-floor distance (CF) and lower TBC values compared with those goats with a count above the predetermined threshold. The results suggest that a reduction in SCC can be achieved by a selection of udder morphological traits. Moreover, milk flow parameters do not seem to be a tool to determine the udder health status in Canarian goats, but long-term studies are needed to verify it.

Genetic improvement of udder health in dairy cows is of high relevance as mastitis is one of the most prevalent diseases. Since it is known that the heritability of mastitis is low and direct data on mastitis cases are often not available in large numbers, auxiliary traits, such as somatic cell count (SCC) are used for the genetic evaluation of udder health. In previous studies, models to predict clinical mastitis based on mid-infrared (MIR) spectral data and a somatic cell count-derived score (SCS) were developed. Those models can provide a probability of mastitis for each cow at every test-day, which is potentially useful as an additional auxiliary trait for the genetic evaluation of udder health. Furthermore, MIR spectral data were used to estimate contents of lactoferrin, a glycoprotein positively associated with immune response. The present study aimed to estimate heritabilities (h2) and genetic correlations (ra) for clinical mastitis diagnosis (CM), SCS, MIR-predicted mastitis probability (MIRprob), MIR + SCS-predicted mastitis probability (MIRSCSprob) and lactoferrin estimates (LF). Data for this study were collected within the routine milk recording and health monitoring system of Austria from 2014 to 2021 and included records of approximately 54,000 Fleckvieh cows. Analyses were performed in two datasets, including test-day records from 5 to 150 or 5 to 305 days in milk. Prediction models were applied to obtain MIR- and SCS-based phenotypes (MIRprob, MIRSCSprob, LF). To estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations bivariate linear animal models were applied for all traits. A lactation model was used for CM, defined as a binary trait, and a test-day model for all other continuous traits. In addition to the random animal genetic effect, the fixed effects year-season of calving and parity-age at calving and the random permanent environmental effect were considered in all models. For CM the random herd-year effect, for continuous traits the random herd-test day effect and the covariate days in milk (linear and quadratic) were additionally fitted. The obtained genetic parameters were similar in both datasets. The heritability found for CM was expectedly low (h2 = 0.02). For SCS and MIRSCSprob, heritability estimates ranged from 0.23 to 0.25, and for MIRprob and LF from 0.15 to 0.17. CM was highly correlated with SCS and MIRSCSprob (ra = 0.85 to 0.88). Genetic correlations of CM were moderate with MIRprob (ra = 0.26 and 0.37) during 150 and 305 days in milk, respectively and low with LF (h2 = 0.10 and 0.11). However, basic selection index calculations indicate that the added value of the new MIR-predicted phenotypes is limited for genetic evaluation of udder health.

UNASSIGNED: Over the past decades, Capparis spinosa has been considered a traditional therapy for relieving different illnesses. Mastitis causes a decrease in milk production and is usually treated with injectable and intra-mammary antibiotics.
UNASSIGNED: Investigating the therapeutic effects of C. spinosa root extract on subclinically mastitic ewes.
UNASSIGNED: Totally, 164 lactating ewes were selected randomly from the flocks that existed in some areas belonging to Al-Najaf City (Najaf, Iraq) from September to December (2022). Each study animal was subjected to direct sampling of milk before and once each week for 6 weeks (42 days) post treatment to be tested directly by the California mastitis test (CMT).
UNASSIGNED: Concerning phytochemical testing of ethanolic root extract, the findings revealed a significant increase in the concentration of alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins when compared to other components such as coumarins, saponin, glycosides, amino acids, and steroids. In this study, there were 44.51% infected ewes with subclinical mastitis, involving 25.61%, 13.41%, and 5.49% for scores 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In comparison with pre-treatment week, insignificant alteration was seen in the values of all scores in therapeutic week 1. However, significant differences were initiated in values of score 0 in week 2; score 0 and score 2 in week 3; score 0, score 1, and score 2 in week 4; and values of all scores in weeks 5 and 6.
UNASSIGNED: This represents the first Iraqi study aimed at the treatment of subclinical mastitis in sheep using the root extract of C. spinosa. Phytochemical testing of ethanolic extract revealed the presence of variable amounts of chemical compounds that reflect their effects on treated animals by decreasing the number of infected ewes with the disease. Moreover, studies are greatly important to estimate the therapeutic effects of other parts of C. spinosa such as leaves and seeds, on the disease and other animal diseases.

Total bacterial count (TBC) and somatic cell count (SCC) are important quality parameters in goat milk. Exceeding the bulk milk TBC (BMTBC) thresholds leads to price penalties for Dutch dairy goat farmers. Controlling these milk quality parameters can be challenging, especially around kidding. First, we describe the variation and the peaks around kidding of TBC and SCC in census data on Dutch bulk milk over the last 22 years. Second, to explore causes of these elevations, we studied the variation of TBC and SCC in individual goat milk from 3 weeks before to 5 weeks after kidding and their association with systemic response markers interferon-γ (IFN-γ), calprotectin, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), body condition score (BCS) and fecal consistency. We visited 4 Dutch dairy goat farms weekly for 10 to 16 weeks around kidding. Some of the goats had been dried off, other goats were milked continuously throughout pregnancy. A total of 1,886 milk samples from 141 goats were collected for automated flowcytometric quantification of TBC and SCC measurement. IFN-γ, calprotectin and BHB were determined twice in blood of the same goats, most samples were collected after kidding. The BCS and fecal consistency were scored visually before and after kidding. We found a strong correlation between TBC and SCC (Spearman\'s rho = 0.87) around kidding. Furthermore, in the third week before kidding, the average TBC (5.67 log10 cfu/mL) and SCC (6.70 log10 cells/mL) were significantly higher compared with the fifth week after kidding, where the average TBC decreased to 4.20 log10 cfu/mL and the average SCC decreased to 5.92 log10 cells/mL. In multivariable linear regression models, farm and stage of lactation were significantly associated with TBC and SCC, but none of the systemic response markers correlated with TBC or SCC. In conclusion, TBC and SCC in dairy goats were high in late lactation and decreased shortly after parturition. For SCC, the dilution effect might have caused the decrease, but this was not plausible for TBC. Moreover, the excretion of bacteria and cells in goat milk was not associated with the selected systemic response markers that were chosen as a read out for general immunity status, intestinal health and metabolic diseases. Therefore, we assume that the TBC increase before kidding and the decrease after parturition is caused by other systemic, possibly hormonal, processes. To reduce BMTBC and BMSCC, it would be advisable to keep milk of goats with highest numbers of bacteria and cells in their milk out of the bulk milk during end lactation. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of withholding this end lactation milk from the bulk tank.

Increasing shortages and costs of common bedding materials have led dairy farmers in Sweden to consider using recycled manure solids (RMS), which are readily available and low-cost, as an alternative bedding material. The main risks are effects on udder health and milk quality, but RMS could also affect animal welfare and claw health. The advantages and disadvantages of using RMS bedding have not been fully investigated, and findings in other countries cannot be directly applied to Swedish conditions and climate. This observational cross-sectional study investigated the use of RMS as bedding regarding associations with certain aspects of animal welfare, herd health, milk quality, and bedding costs in Swedish dairy herds. Thirty-four dairy farms using RMS or wood shavings/sawdust (each n = 17) were compared. Each farm was visited 2 times during the housing period 2020-2021, once in October-December and once in March-May. Dairy barns were observed, animal welfare was assessed, and free-stall dimensions were measured. Farm owners were interviewed about housing system characteristics, herd performance, and herd management. Data on milk production and herd health were obtained from the Swedish official milk recording scheme for the indoor period October-March. The prevalence of claw disorders and abnormal claw conformation were collected from the national claw health database for the period, October-May. On each farm visit, composite samples of unused bedding outside the barn and used bedding material from the free stalls, respectively, were taken for total bacterial count and dry matter analysis. Samples of bulk tank milk for determination of total bacterial count were taken in connection to the visits. In addition, samples of unused and used bedding material and manure from alleys for analysis of 3 Treponema species associated with digital dermatitis (DD) were gathered and analyzed. Total bacterial count was significantly higher in unused (8.50 log10 cfu/g) and used RMS bedding (9.75 log10 cfu/g) than in wood shavings/sawdust (used 4.74; unused 8.63 log10 cfu/g), but there were no significant differences in bulk milk total bacterial count (median 4.07 versus 3.89 log10 cfu/mL) or somatic cell count (median 243,800 versus 229,200 cells /mL). The aspects of animal welfare that were assessed did not differ significantly between the 2 bedding systems, while the prevalence of total claw disorders (25.9 versus 38.0% of trimmed cows), dermatitis (6.9 versus 16.2% of trimmed cows) and sole ulcers (2.0 versus 4.0% of trimmed cows) were significantly lower in the RMS herds. Treponema spp. were not detected in unused RMS material, but all RMS herds had presence of DD recorded at foot trimming. An economic assessment based on the interview results and price level from winter 2021 revealed that the costs of RMS bedding varied with amount of RMS produced. Thus, RMS is a potential alternative bedding material for dairy cows in Sweden and can be a profitable option for large dairy herds. However, the high level of total bacteria in the material requires attention to bedding and milking routines as well as regular monitoring of herd health.

Mastitis is one of the most predominant diseases with a negative impact on ranch products worldwide. It reduces milk production, damages milk quality, increases treatment costs, and even leads to the premature elimination of animals. In addition, failure to take effective measures in time will lead to widespread disease. The key to reducing the losses caused by mastitis lies in the early detection of the disease. The application of deep learning with powerful feature extraction capability in the medical field is receiving increasing attention. The main purpose of this study was to establish a deep learning network for buffalo quarter-level mastitis detection based on 3054 ultrasound images of udders from 271 buffaloes. Two data sets were generated with thresholds of somatic cell count (SCC) set as 2 × 105 cells/mL and 4 × 105 cells/mL, respectively. The udders with SCCs less than the threshold value were defined as healthy udders, and otherwise as mastitis-stricken udders. A total of 3054 udder ultrasound images were randomly divided into a training set (70%), a validation set (15%), and a test set (15%). We used the EfficientNet_b3 model with powerful learning capabilities in combination with the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) to train the mastitis detection model. To solve the problem of sample category imbalance, the PolyLoss module was used as the loss function. The training set and validation set were used to develop the mastitis detection model, and the test set was used to evaluate the network\'s performance. The results showed that, when the SCC threshold was 2 × 105 cells/mL, our established network exhibited an accuracy of 70.02%, a specificity of 77.93%, a sensitivity of 63.11%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.77 on the test set. The classification effect of the model was better when the SCC threshold was 4 × 105 cells/mL than when the SCC threshold was 2 × 105 cells/mL. Therefore, when SCC ≥ 4 × 105 cells/mL was defined as mastitis, our established deep neural network was determined as the most suitable model for farm on-site mastitis detection, and this network model exhibited an accuracy of 75.93%, a specificity of 80.23%, a sensitivity of 70.35%, and AUC 0.83 on the test set. This study established a 1/4 level mastitis detection model which provides a theoretical basis for mastitis detection in buffaloes mostly raised by small farmers lacking mastitis diagnostic conditions in developing countries.

The components of milk from beef cows remain to be elucidated. This study examined the differences in the antimicrobial components of milk between dairy and beef cows. Quarter milk was collected from both Japanese Black (beef type) and Holstein (dairy type) cows to compare the concentrations of antimicrobial components. The concentration of lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP) was higher, whereas that of the other antimicrobial components (lactoferrin, S100A7, and S100A8) was lower in beef cows than in dairy cows. Overall, these results indicate that the differences in antimicrobial components between beef and dairy cows may be associated with the difference in the prevalence of mastitis between them.

This study\'s objective was to determine the effects of increasing the dietary added zinc (Zn) on the milk production, milk somatic cell count (SCC), and immunoglobulin and antioxidant marker concentrations in the blood of dairy cows. Twelve Holstein cows (67 ± 2.5 days in milk) were assigned randomly to (1) a diet containing Zn-methionine at 76 mg/kg of DM (CTL) or (2) CTL top-dressed with about 21 mg/kg of DM extra Zn-methionine (+Zn) for 70 d. The concentrations of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and immunoglobulins in the blood were measured on d 0, 35, and 70. Compared to CTL, +Zn decreased the dry matter intake (DMI) throughout the trial and the milk yield (MY) during the first phase of feeding (0-35 d). It, however, increased the milk yield during the last phase (36-70 d). The +Zn tended to have lower and greater milk protein yields than CTL during the first and last feeding phases, respectively. The +Zn tended to decrease the SCC and was associated with lower plasma GSH: GSSG and lower serum SOD concentrations relative to CTL. The +Zn did not affect the immunoglobulins, MDA, or CAT. Despite the early DMI and MY reduction, the prolonged Zn-methionine supplementation at about 100 mg/kg of DM improved the milk yield, possibly as a result of the improved udder health of dairy cows.