Bovine mastitis - current control methods in the face of AMR concerns

摘要

In response to the Government objective of 'identifying sector-specific targets for the reduction, refinement or replacement of antibiotics in food-producing animals,' last year saw the publication of the Targets Task Force Report facilitated by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance (http://www.ruma.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ RUMA-Targets-Task-Force-Report-2017-FINAL.pdf). Of the six targets for the dairy sector, four are directly linked to mastitis control, and theremaining two (Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics [HP-CIA] injectable usage and Total mg Usage) are heavily influenced by mastitis treatment choices as well as mastitis control. Of the four targets that relate directly to bovine mastitis control, two concern the use of intra-mammary antibiotic dry cow therapy (where a 20% reduction is proposed by 2020) and intra-mammary antibiotic lactating cow therapy (where a 10% reduction is proposed by 2020), while a third aims for a 50% reduction inthe use of HP-CIA intra-mammary antibiotic, whether at drying-off or in lactation. As these targets can only be achieved if producers and veterinary surgeons review the approaches to mastitis therapeutics and control, this paper summarises current thoughts in the former and approaches to the latter.