Characterization of clinical mastitis and antimicrobial use in dairy herds
Epidemiological studies have characterized clinical mastitis occurrence in several countries, especially in herds from Europe and North America. However, the clinical mastitis monitoring indicators, as well as the characterization of antimicrobials used for treatment of this disease, have not been described in Brazilian dairy farms where milk production systems are still under development. Key performance indicators of clinical mastitis, such as incidence rates, prevalence and recurrence of cases, etiologic profile, severity, and the association of these parameters with characteristics at the herd level (bulk tank SCC, the number of milking cows and average milk yield) have not been described in milk production systems in Brazil. Considering the etiological and epidemiological differences that may occur in different countries, regions and even between herds, studies characterizing the clinical mastitis profile are important for the development of more specific strategies aimed at the control and prevention of this disease.
Most species causing clinical mastitis are composed of a wide variety of subspecies, which may differ in virulence, pathogenicity, susceptibility to antimicrobials and transmission. Rapid identification methods, particularly PCR techniques, are able to differentiate subspecies of microorganisms with close genotypic profiles. In the last decade, molecular diagnosis of mastitis-causing pathogens has enabled a better understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. The association between genotypic profiles of the major clinical mastitis-causing pathogens and factors related to clinical case, such as antimicrobial susceptibility and severity, may lead to a better understanding of the risk factors associated with antimicrobial resistance.
Research Laboratory on Milk Quality – Qualileite-FMVZ-USP
Tomazi is conducting his doctoral thesis at Qualileite Lab (Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Laboratory) at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at University of São Paulo (FMVZ-USP), Pirassununga, Brazil. Dr. Marcos Veiga dos Santos coordinates the laboratory; the main research interest of the laboratory is milk quality and udder health in dairy cows. To date, Dr. Veiga dos Santos has written more than 80 peer-reviewed published papers.
The mission of Qualileite-FMVZ-USP Laboratory is to offer diagnostic solutions to professionals and companies in the agricultural sector by providing microbiological analysis of milk and chemical analysis of food and organic compounds. Ultimately, the aim is to contribute to the improvement of milk quality and the sustainability of
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