The treatment of microbial infections requires a large use of antibiotics which is, partially, responsible for the appearance of resistant strains to antibiotics in dairy cows. However, many photochemical compounds, including the essential oils, are becoming interesting as potential source of natural bioactive molecules. The antibacterial activity of the studied essential oils was evaluated by aromatogram and microdilution in medium liquid. The results show that the essential oil of Thymus fontanesii has the biggest antibacterial action against all the bacterial strains comparing with the Eucalyptus oil. However, the aqueous extracts of Thymus fontanesii and Eucalyptus indicate a moderate antibacterial activity against the strains of Staphylococcus aureus. On the other hand there is no effect on Escherichia coli strains. The most strong activity inhibitory was get with the essential oil of Eucalyptus against Staphylococcus aureus strains with CMI of 0.39 μl/ml for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC and 1.562 μl/ml for Staphylococcus aureus pathogen in comparison with the essential oil of Thymus fontanesii which is more active against the Escherichia coli strains. The aqueous extract of Eucalyptus showed the best CMI and CMB against the Staphylococcus aureus strains in comparison with the aqueous extract of Thymus fontanesii. Comparative tests to the activity have been made with cefoxitin and gentamicin discs.

The milk fever and mastitis that occur during the colostrum period in dairy cattle cause great damage in the dairy industry by causing a rapid decline in the cattle’s health and decreasing milk production. In order to prevent this, gradual milking (GM), calcium injection with gradual milking (CG), and calcium injection with complete milking (CC) methods are used. However, differences in effectiveness between these methods have not been established. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effects of each preventive method on milk fever and mastitis. The results of this study showed that while there was a significant negative correlation of GM with milk fever and mastitis (r = –0.657, p < 0.05), there was no correlation of CG and CC with milk fever and mastitis. The incidence of milk fever was significantly lower in CG and CC than in GM (p < 0.05) but no differences in the incidence of mastitis were observed between the three groups. No significant differences in the rate of recovery from milk fever and mastitis were observed between the three groups. The recurrence rate of milk fever was significantly higher in CG and CC than in GM (p < 0.05), though no differences in the recurrence rate of mastitis were observed. This study showed an inverse relationship between the incidence rates of milk fever and mastitis when calcium injection was not used during the colostrum period. When calcium injections were used, the incidence of milk fever was reduced without affecting the incidence of mastitis regardless of the milking method, but the recurrence rate of milk fever was increased. The results of this study would be useful for controlling blood calcium concentrations and establishing efficient milking strategy in order to effectively prevent milk fever and mastitis in dairy cattle during the colostrum period.

This study investigated the synergistic effects of a combination of cephalexin and gentamicin (CCG) against Streptococcus spp. isolated from bovine milk. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index were determined for 12 bacteria isolated from 12 bovine farms in Gyeongnam province. The MIC ranges of cephalexin, gentamicin and CCG were 0.25-0.5, 0.5-2.0 and 0.06-0.125 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the FIC index range of CCG against the isolates was 0.32-0.34, showing a synergistic effect in the checkboard assay. In conclusion, CCG has a high antibacterial activity against Streptococcus isolates and may be utilized in the treatment of bovine streptococcal mastitis.

The occurrence of mastitis in diary cattle has been caused by genetic, physiological, managemental and environment factors accounted for the highest percentage of worldwide disease in dairy cattle. The purpose of this study was to analyze the occurrences and causative bacteria of subclinical mastitis in milking cows and also examine the distribution of bacteria in milk by isolating and identifying bacteria both in whole milk and quarter milk. 31.4% of the milking cows suffered subclinical mastitis, and 9.5% had it in terms of quarter milk. According to the results of analyzing bacteria in quarter milk of which somatic cell count (SCC) was over 500 thousand, 15 kinds of bacteria were isolated, and among them, Pantoea spp. formed the biggest part as 15.8%. From whole milk, 37 kinds of bacteria were identified, and among them, Klebsiella oxytoca showed the highest identification rate as 30.1%. According to the results of bacteria analyzed from the quarter milk of entire milking cows, 52 kinds of bacteria were identified. Among them, 17 kinds of Staphylococci were isolated, and CNS (Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci) formed a large part as 44.9%. The findings of this study showed that various kinds of bacteria were isolated from cows having subclinical mastitis; therefore, when managing specifications about milking or such, dairy farm will have to take proper action like performing sanitary control or counting somatic cells regularly in order to do their best for reducing mastitis.

During January-November 2012, a total of 2,041 quarter milk samples were collected from dairy cattle of 82 dairy farms nationwide. About 42% (870/2,041) of the samples that had somatic cell counts (SCC) of ≥ 200,000 cells/ml were subjected to microbiological examination. No bacteria was isolated from 95 of 870 (10.9%) samples. Among 1,237 bacteria isolated from the rest 775 samples, 1,085 were identified with VITEK: more than half (52.1%, 645/1,237) of the isolates were gram negative bacillus. Gram positive cocci including Staphylococcus accounted for 35% of the isolates and almost none of gram positive bacilli isolated. Excluding Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS), the most frequently isolated bacterial species was Escherichia coli (11.2%, 138/1, 237), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.1%,100/1,237), Staphylococcus aureus (7.1%, 88/1, 237), Enterobacter cloacae (6.0%, 74/1, 237), and Serratia marcescens (3.5%, 43/1, 237). The most common resistance of S. aureus was to penicillin (77.4%) and ampicillin (73.0%), while no resistance was observed against gentamicin and cephalothin. Although CNS presented resistance to all antimicrobials tested but the most prevalent resistance was to penicillin (35.6%) and ampicillin (37.0%). The pattern of antimicrobial resistance observed in CNS was similar to that of S. aureus, but the rates were much lower than those of S. aureus. E. coli also showed resistance to all the antimicrobials tested, although the rates were not very high. The highest resistance of E. coli was to cephalothin (39.4%) and ampicillin (36.2%), while most of the strains (98.0%) showed sensitivity to amikacin. The results of this study provide information on current situation of bovine mastitis in Korea.

To determine current rate of antimicrobial resistance, a total of 236 isolates from milk samples of dairy cattle with mastitis in Korea during 2010-2011 were examined against 12 antimicrobials using disc diffusion method: 67 Staphylococcus aureus, 74 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. (CNS), and 95 Escherichia coli isolates. The isolates examined in this study were submitted by Local Veterinary Service Laboratories located in 13 provinces and metropolitan cities nationwide. The highest rates of resistance among S. aureus isolates were against ampicillin (56.7%) and penicillin (56.7%), followed by kanamycin (11.9%). All S. aureus isolates were sensitive to lincomycin, amikacin, and cephalothin. Only one isolate showed resistance to tetracycline and oxacillin, respectively. Less than 10% of the S. aureus isolates presented resistance to erythromycin, neomycin, and gentamicin. Among CNS isolates, the most frequently observed resistance was to lincomycin (44.5%), followed by penicillin (28.3%), ampicillin (18.9%), tetracycline (17.5%), kanamycin (13.5%), and erythromycin (9.4%). All or most of the CNS isolates were sensitive to cephalothin, amikacin, neomycin, and gentamicin. The highest rate of resistance among E. coli isolates was against tetracycline (26.3%), followed by streptomycin (21%), neomycin (15%), kanamycin (12.6%), and gentamicin (10.5%). Amikacin was the only antimicrobial to which no E. coli isolates showed resistance. Around 10% of the S. aureus isolates and 15% of the CNS isolates showed resistance against three or more antimicrobials simultaneously, while more than 30% of the E. coli isolates did.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a herd specific vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) by different inoculation route, IMI (intramammary injection), Koso, and supramammary lymphnode area. Based on strains of S. aureus from a case of acute clinical mastitis in Daekwanryeong farm, two experimental vaccines were made, inactivated vaccine and sonicated one. To determine the antigen concentration of the vaccine, 220 ICR-mice were immunized by the intraperitoneal route with inactivated or sonicated experimental vaccines according to different schedules with 10 ICR mice as a control group. The sonicated vaccine was selected for further experiments in vaccination and the highest antibody titer in ELISA was observed at 3㎎/㎖ of the vaccine. The vaccine was administrated to 22 healthy cows at drying up. The quarter milk samples and bloods were collected before vaccination, right after parturition and 3 months postpartum. There were no significant differences among vaccination routes based on the antibody titers in serum and intramammary bacterial infections during drying up period. The antibody titer in serum of vaccinated cows was higher at parturition than 3 months postpartum but it had no statistical meaning, though decreased clinical signs and morbidity were observed. Results of this study suggest that the concept of the vaccine against S. aureus is to decreasing clinical mastitis rather than preventing the disease.

To control mastitis in dairy cattle, National Mastitis Control Program (NMCP) has been conducted in Korea since early 2000s. Nevertheless, mastitis still remains one of the most important disease in dairy cattle in Korea as other countries worldwide. Under the NMCP, a total of 343,090 lactating cows nationwide were tested for mastitis during 2004～June 2010 based on California Mastitis Test (CMT), and 7.8% (26,782/343,090) and 13.8% (47,335/343,090) of the cows tested were infected with clinical and subclinical mastitis, respectively. Relative frequency of 2,058 bacteria isolated from bovine milk samples with somatic cell count of ≥200,000 cells/㎖ during 2006～2010 were analyzed. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus spp. including Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for over 50% of the total number of isolates. The highest frequency was observed for coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), followed by Gram negative bacteria (GNB), S. aureus, Streptococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp. Based on the results of recent studies in Korea, the majority of pathogens isolated from subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle in Korea are environmental minor pathogens. Therefore, more attention should be paid to control of environmental pathogens such as CNS, GNB, and Streptococcus uberis in dairy farms in Korea.

1984년(年) 10월(月)부터 1985년(年) 8월말(月末)사이에 대학부속가축병원(大學附屬家畜病院)에 검진의뢰(檢診依賴)된 대구(大邱) 경북지방(慶北地方)에서 발생(發生)한 83례(例)의 만성(慢性) 유방염(乳房炎)의 원인균(原因菌)을 분리(分離) 동정(同定)하고 이 분리균(分離菌)의 각종(各種) 항생제(抗生劑)에 대한 감수성(感受性)을 disc diffusion technique로 조사(調査)하였다. 대구(大邱) 경북지방(慶北地方)에서 문제되는 만성(慢性) 유방염(乳房炎)은 포도구균성 유방염(乳房炎)이 전체의 48.2%(83례중(例中) 40례(例))로 가장 많았으며 그 다음은 대장균군(大腸菌群) 유방염(乳房炎)으로 18.1%(83례중(例中) 15례(例))를 차지하였다. 효모양진균에 의한 유방염(乳房炎)도 10.8%(83례중(例中) 9례(例))나 되었다. Corynebacterium spp.에 의한 유방염(乳房炎)은 8.4%였으나 연쇄구균성 유방염(乳房炎)은 3.6%에 지나지 않았다. Bacillus spp.와 pseudomonad에 의한 것은 각각 3.6%와 8.4%이었으며 만성(慢性) 유방염(乳房炎)의 원인균(原因菌)을 밝힐 수 있었던 것은 4.8%(83 례중(例中) 4례(例))이였다. 만성(慢性) 유방염(乳房炎)에 관여한 포도구균과 대장균(大腸菌)은 공시(供試)한 항상제(抗生劑)에 대하여 내성(耐性)을 나타내는 경향이 뚜렷하였다. 포도구균은 penicillin, methicillin, linocomycin, novobiocin, ampicillin, tetracycline에는 각각 87.2%, 78.7%, 68.1%, 61.7%, 57.4%가 내성(耐性)인 반면에 gentamicin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin 등에는 각각 78.7%, 76.6%, 74.5%, 63.7%가 감수성(感受性)이었다. 대장균(大腸菌)은 streptomycin과 cephalothin에는 72.2%, tetracycline에 66.7%, ampicillin에 61.1%가 내성(耐性)인 반면에 colistin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, neomycin에는 각각 83.3%, 77.8%, 66.7%, 55.6%가 감수성(感受性)이었다. Corynebacterium spp.는 ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, oleandomycin, tetracycline에는 감수성(感受性)이었으나 novobiocin과 penicillin 등에는 내성(耐性)이었다. 한편 pseudomonas aeruginosa는 공시(供試)한 모든 항생제(抗生劑)에 내성(耐性)이었다.