Immunoprophylaxis of Staphylococcus aureus mastitis in diary cows

Mastitis in cows represents one of the most actual problems in intensive dairy production. The prevention of pathogen penetration in the udder, its colonization and reproduction impose the constant need for regular milk check-ups, and preventive and therapeutic measures. Staphylococcus aureus causes subclinical and clinical mastitis, which when in the acute form can originate difficult and malignant udder infections with granulomatous and necrotic changes. Chronic forms of Staphylococcal mastitis most often pass as subclinical cases. An efficient commercial vaccine has not been introduced yet, though the application of autochthonous vaccines in the prevention of mastitis can give satisfactory results. In this study we have developed and applied an autochthonous vaccine prepared from S. aureus isolated from milk samples taken from an experimental farm, as well as from the referent capsular strain S. aureus. The vaccine was applied to experimental dairy cattle twice before calving in a dose of 5 mL. It consisted of inactivated bacterial S. aureus JR3 cells in a quantity of 1x1010 cfu/mL and 5 mg SM capsule of the strain S. aureus 2286. This vaccination of dairy cows has resulted in a significant decrease of subclinical and clinical manifested mastitis in the treated group, when compared to the vaccinated group of experimental animals. .