Pathogen Detection via Quantitative PCR in Milk of Healthy Cows Collected Using Different Sampling Protocols

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Microbiology
• Dairy Science
• Animal Health

Background:

• Bovine mastitis is a significant concern in dairy farming, impacting milk quality and animal welfare.
• Identifying prevalent etiological agents is crucial for effective disease control strategies in dairy herds.
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR) offers a sensitive method for pathogen detection in milk samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of various pathogens in milk from apparently healthy Italian dairy cows.
• To identify the most common etiological agents affecting dairy farms using qPCR.
• To provide data for developing targeted interventions for udder health management.

Main Methods:

• Milk samples were collected from Italian dairy cows using both sterile quarter-level and conventional udder-level protocols.
• A commercial qPCR kit was employed to detect a range of bacterial pathogens and resistance genes.
• Prevalence was calculated based on pathogen DNA presence, considering sampling methods and herd data.

Main Results:

• Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the most frequently detected pathogens (26.6% sterile, 13.9% conventional).
• Streptococcus uberis was also highly prevalent (9.6% sterile, 16.5% conventional).
• Various other pathogens including Mycoplasma spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were detected.

Conclusions:

• CNS and Streptococcus uberis are key targets for udder health management in Italian dairy farms.
• Pathogen-specific interventions are necessary to improve dairy cow health.
• Understanding pathogen prevalence is essential for evidence-based farm management recommendations.