Preventive management
The “five-point plan” for mastitis control developed in the 1970’s has proven to be very effective for controlling contagious mastitis caused by S. agalactiae. The five point are listed here :
1. Post milking teat disinfection
2. Dry cow treatment with antibiotics on all quarters of all cows
3. Prompt treatment of clinical case of mastitis with antibiotics
4. Regular milking system analysis and maintenance
5. Culling chronically in fected cows.
Regular bulk tank culturing will provide an early warning if S.agalactiae infected cows have entered the herd. Culturing all new arrivals to the herd is also a good biosecurity practice to limit the damage od introducting this mastitis pathogen to your herd.
………Separating the infected cows from the uninfected cows can help reduce the rate of spread of this mastitis causing pathogen. This can be accomplished
….Separating the infected cows from the the uninfected cows can help reduce the rate of spread of this mastitis causting pathogen. This can be accomplished by grouping, designating a separate unit for infected cows or backflushing.
…..Milker training is very important in contagious mastitis control. The milkers need to understand how the bacteria can be sread in order to ensure that their milking habits are not contributing to the problem. The use of latex or nitrile gloves allows the milkers to easily disinfect their hang. Proper milking procedures, employee training and teat dipping can reduce the spread of S.agalactiae within your herd.
…….House nursing calves individually and avoid feeding waste milk from treated cows