Escherichia coli bacterin for the reduction of clinical signs of toxic mastitis in cattle

Abstract

While herd surveys have indicated that 95% of mastitis in dairy cattle is caused by gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus, mastitis caused by coliform organisms is gaining in recognition. Coliforms causing mastitis include gram-negative, lactose-fermenting organisms of the family Enterobacteriaceae in the genera Escherichia, Klebsiella and Enterobacter. Routine mastitis control measures such as udder washing, teat dipping and milking machine sanitation have reduced the incidence of subclinical mastitis caused by the cocci, but they have not affected the incidence of coliform infections. 2·4·5 Herds in which mastitis caused by Str. agalactiae and S. aureus is under control may still have problems with clinical mastitis caused by coliforms.