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New Microbiome Research for Tackling Mastitis on Manitoba Dairy Farms 1,2 2 1,2 1,2,3 Hooman Derakhshani , Christine Rawluk , Kees Plaizier , Ehsan Khafipour 1 2 3 Department of Animal Science, National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Mastitis is the most common disease of dairy cows, usually defined as the inflammation of mammary glands following infection with pathogenic microorganisms. Although tremendous research efforts have been devoted to development of treatment strategies and control programs, mastitis still remains the most prevalent and costly disease for dairy farmers. It is estimated that one out of five cows experiences clinical signs of mastitis during each lactation. Mastitis-related losses to the Canadian dairy industry are estimated to exceed $400 million annually. Considering the high incidence rate of the sub-clinical type of the disease, which can easily go unnoticed, the real economic impacts can be far more devastating. What are the causes? Mastitis is a complex disease determined by several genetic and environmental factors. Breed, parity, lactation stage, milk yield and udder characteristics can influence susceptibility to mastitis. Management practices associated with drycow treatment, diet, milking and bedding can also trigger onset of the disease. Contagious mastitis is mainly spread from infected udders to uninfected ones through contaminated milking machines, and by milkers’ hands and towels. Environmental mastitis is associated with opportunistic groups of bacteria found mainly in contaminated manure, bedding, soil and water and are transferred to the udder during the milking process or shortly thereafter. New study focuses on reducing mastitis in Manitoba dairy herds Dr. Ehsan Khafipour, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science at the University of Manitoba, and PhD student Hooman Derakhshani, have recently started a study with the goal of improving mastitis control programs on Manitoba dairy farms through improved diagnosis and management strategies. Results and recommendations will be shared with producers through fact sheets. By studying the microbial communities of mammary glands and bedding materials over an 8-month period on several farms, they aim to determine the primary sources of infection leading to mastitis on these farms, and to identify management practices to help control the disease at both the clinical and sub-clinical stages. They are using state of the art molecular techniques to identify the bacterial fingerprints associated with mastitis-positive cows. Once identified, the next step is to assess whether these bacterial fingerprints can be used as a tool for predicting and preventing mastitis in dairy herds. “We will also evaluate the microbial diversity of different bedding systems and how this is related to udder health and incidences of mastitis,” said Khafipour. “By knowing the Henry Holtmann taking quarter milk pathways of mastitis infection, we can identify bedding management programs for samples for the study. improved milk quality and udder health.” (Source: H. Derakhshani) Bedding management has implications for cow health, as well as for the environment and economics. Bacterial populations found on teat ends closely reflect those found in bedding materials. High bacterial populations in bedding material result in high bacteria counts on teat ends, which has been correlated to increased SCC as well as higher incidence rates of clinical mastitis. A comprehensive investigation on the microbial profile of different bedding systems and their correlation to udder health and incidence rates of mastitis is being performed in order to provide producers with "good bedding management practices" that can improve herd health. Identification, treatment and prevention of mastitis Traditional bacterial culture techniques are the gold standard in laboratory identification of mastitis-causing bacteria and for choosing the proper antibiotics for treatment. However, more than 90% of the bacteria in the environment cannot be detected by this technique. Consequently, prescribing targeted antibiotic treatments is a challenge, and has led to emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are difficult, or in certain cases impossible, to treat. Society is increasingly concerned about the growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the potential for human consumption of antibiotic residues. Antibiotic resistance is the main reason why a high percentage of cows suffer from intra-mammary infections at late pregnancy or early lactation, despite dry-cow therapy with antibiotics. In this new research, Khafipour and his team at Gut Microbiome Laboratory will apply high throughput next generation DNA sequencing to screen the microbial diversity of the milk and udder at different stages of pregnancy and milking to unravel the composition of the uncultivable majority – the remaining 90% – of bacteria and their potential role in pathogenesis of mastitis. By examining the microbial diversity before and after the dry-off period, they can evaluate the efficacy of the farms’ dry-cow therapy strategies, identify resistant bacteria and improve treatment strategies. Another aim of the study is early prediction of mastitis using changes in microbial community dynamics as an indicator. The team is also interested in identifying “beneficial bacteria” in these communities to see if they can be used as probiotics to reduce the incidence of mastitis. “A strong defense is still the best strategy for keeping mastitis under control,” notes Khafipour. The National Mastitis Council recommends keeping udders as clean as possible, avoiding contamination of milking machines, dipping teats pre- and post-milking, and preventing cows from lying down after milking as the main strategies for reducing the risk of intramammary infections. Hooman processing quarter milk samples for extraction of genomic DNA. (Source: J. Donogh) This project is led and financially supported by Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, with matching funding from GFII ARDI. Contact Dr. Ehsan Khafipour ([email protected]) to learn more. Keeping cattle on pasture longer in the fall using stockpiled grazing is the goal of a collaborative project between the U of M, U of SK, WBDC and MAFRD. Currently the research team is evaluating a range of grasses, legumes and cereal crops at sites in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The best performers will be put to the test in a cattle grazing study in 2016. The U of M team includes Emma McGeough, Kim Ominski, Karin Wittenberg, Doug Cattani and Derek Brewin. View the article New infrastructure funding in support of this research, as well as other agricultural research initiatives at the U of M was recently announced by the federal and provincial governments. Over 20 experts present their vision of how a changing climate might shape future Prairie agricultural systems in a Green Paper prepared for the Alberta Institute of Agrologists. Crop selection, pollinating insects, weeds, pathogens, transport, insurance, trade agreements, beef cattle, the food on our plate are some of the topics explored. Read more The following seminars are now available for viewing: The role of engineering in dealing with airborne transmission of animal diseases Dr. Qiang Zhang, Biosystems Engineering Food sovereignty: A powerful new vision for agriculture and food Dr. Annette Desmarais, Canada Research Chair in Human Rights, Social Justice and Food Sovereignty Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts Milked and feathered: The regressive welfare effects of Canada's supply management regime Dr. Ryan Cardwell, Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics Additional appointments: Dr. Jared Carlberg, Associate Dean, Academic and Dr. Martin Scanlon, Associate Dean, Research. Read the release Animal scientists Laurie Connor and Martin Nyachoti lead the Manitoba components of three multi-institutional Swine Innovation Porc projects: Sow group housing design for optimal sow welfare: Optimizing flooring and social management - Laurie Connor, Qiang Zhang and Derek Brewin Feeding programs for growing-finishing pigs to enhance global competitiveness - Martin Nyachoti Piglet management strategies for optimum performance - Martin Nyachoti Completed swine research: Successful conversion to sow group housing (L. Connor, Q. Zhang, G. Johnson) Using processed hog manure separation products (M. Tenuta) Canola seedling toxicity with seed-placed struvite and MAP (F. Zvomuya & N. Cicek) EPI for improving barn air quality and preventing airborne transmission of PRRS virus (Q. Zhang) Prairie Livestock Expo UofM scientists shared their latest pork, dairy, beef and poultry research at Prairie Livestock Expo, December 10, 2014. Contact Christine Rawluk to learn more.