Case report

Management of Klebsiella spp mastitis on a dairy farm

Abstract

Mastitis caused by Klebsiella spp is an emerging issue associated with contaminated environments, often with poor response to therapy. This case report highlights 42 cows with 50 cases of clinical mastitis caused by Klebsiella spp. Eight cases of clinical mastitis were from 4 cows with repeat cases. The mean days-in-milk (DIM) at diagnosis was 135; 38% of cows were within the first 100 DIM. Cows diagnosed with mastitis had a 65% decrease in milk production. Severity scores assigned to each case were 24% mild, 33% moderate, and 43% severe. The majority of cows were either culled (38%) or euthanized (19%) as a result of the mastitis. Many of the cows that developed clinical mastitis had been good producing animals with low somatic cell counts prior to the case. Environmental control and cow hygiene are key to prevention of mastitis.