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Clinical, epidemiological and molecular characteristics of Streptococcus uberis infections in dairy herds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2003

R. N. ZADOKS
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
B. E. GILLESPIE
Affiliation:
Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996, USA
H. W. BARKEMA
Affiliation:
Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Canada C1A 4P3
O. C. SAMPIMON
Affiliation:
Ruminant Health Unit, Animal Health Service, PO Box 9, 7400 AA Deventer, The Netherlands
S. P. OLIVER
Affiliation:
Food Safety Center of Excellence, Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996, USA
Y. H. SCHUKKEN
Affiliation:
Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853, USA
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Abstract

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A longitudinal observational study (18 months) was carried out in two Dutch dairy herds to explore clinical, epidemiological and molecular characteristics of Streptococcus uberis mastitis. Infections (n=84) were detected in 70 quarters of 46 cows. Bacterial isolates were characterized at strain level by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting. Persistent infections were usually attributable to one strain, while recurrent infections could be caused by different strains. When multiple quarters of a cow were infected, infections were mostly caused by one strain. In each herd, multiple strains were identified yet one strain predominated. The majority of all infections were subclinical, and infections attributed to predominant strains were more chronic than infections attributed to other strains. Epidemiological and molecular data suggest infection from environmental sources with a variety of S. uberis strains as well as within-cow and between-cow transmission of a limited number of S. uberis strains, with possible transfer of bacteria via the milking machine.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press