Treatment of Candidal Mastitis in Two Holstein Cows

a Case Report and Review

Abstract

Two Holstein show cows were presented for acute clinical mastitis in multiple quarters of five days and three weeks duration, respectively. The mastitis was classified as moderate to severe. Milk culture results revealed Candida rugosa and Candida krusei in pure culture, and California mastitis test (CMT) scores were a consistent 3 in all infected quarters. The cows were treated with intramammary miconazole (200 mg) every 12 hours for seven to eight total treatments. Milk cultures were collected and plated every 24 hours. A noticeable reduction in colony numbers during therapy was not evident. Miconazole was not an effective treatment for Candida rugosa or Candida krusei. An extensive review of the literature did not reveal any documented efficacious treatments for candida mastitis.