Mastitis
Dairy Cattle Disease
Disease description
Mastitis is an udder inflammation commonly caused by contagious
and environmental pathogens. Contagious pathogens include Staphylococcus
aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Mycoplasma, which spread
to uninfected quarters mainly at milking. Environmental mastitis
occurs in wet, dirty conditions where teat ends are exposed to
bacteria – primarily Streptococcus species and coliforms.
Clinical signs of coliform mastitis
Escherichia coli is a primary pathogen causing coliform
mastitis – the most deadly form of mastitis. Affected cows can
suffer from high fever, abnormal milk, partial to total drop-off
in milk production, depressed appetite, diarrhea, dehydration
and, in severe cases, death.
Prevention of coliform mastitis
The first step to preventing coliform mastitis is to reduce
teat-end exposure to bacteria. Coliform bacteria live throughout
the cow’s environment. They thrive in bedding, manure and
milking equipment. However, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate
exposure to coliform bacteria.
Fortunately, vaccination with J5 Shield enhances the cow’s
immune response capability to E. coli. With coliform mastitis,
it’s critical to diminish the exposure of the quarter and
the cow to the effects of endotoxin release. Small amounts of
endotoxins are released by living E. coli bacteria; large amounts
are released when E. coli bacteria are destroyed. Vaccination
with J5 Shield provides the cow with antibody to bind endotoxin
and neutralize its adverse effects to the cow and milk quality.
By vaccinating prior to calving, J5 Shield helps increase cows’ resistance
to E. coli bacteria during early lactation. An economic
analysis by University of California-Davis researchers found
dairy producers following a J5 vaccination program could gain
$32 to $57 net profit per cow per lactation.
Research at the University of California School of Veterinary
Medicine in Tulare, Calif., found that cows immunized with J5
Shield were less severely affected by endotoxin challenge. Cows
vaccinated with J5 Shield had only a mild transient illness compared
to the unvaccinated control animals. In safety trials, J5 Shield
administered at 10 times the label dose caused no adverse reactions.
J5 Shield uses a proprietary SuprImm® adjuvant
system that uses a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion process, which
enables a prolonged release of antigens for more thorough immune
stimulation. Cows and heifers should receive three 2-mL doses
of J5 Shield at three-week intervals with the third dose at least
two weeks before calving. Cows should be revaccinated annually
at dry-off and three weeks prior to calving.
Like any vaccine, J5 Shield is effective only when used in conjunction
with proper management. This includes good bedding management,
milking teats that are clean and dry, providing regular milking
equipment maintenance, treating clinical infections early and
culling chronically infected cows.
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