[Infective situation in a cow barn contaminated with Klebsiella mastitis]

The infection situation in a four-row cow-house for 153 animals with a frequent occurrence of Klebsiella mastitis was subject to a detailed analysis. The following results were obtained after two collections of blood and udder-quarter milk samples examined by the test-tube agglutination, gel precipitation, and bacteriological diagnosis methods: 1. Streptococcus agalactiae was isolated from milk samples 28 and 31 times, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 15 and 19 times, Staphylococcus arueus 16 and 19 times, Klebsiella pneumoniae 6 and 6 times, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus once and 4 times, Enterobacter aerogenes twice and three times, and Escherichia coli twice. The authors failed to determine the causative agent in 26--38 cows (20--30%) with a pathologically changed secretion. 2. Double test-tube agglutination performed in a 30-day interval revealed suspected Klebsiella antibodies having a titre of 80 + + and higher in 13 dairy cows (12%); However, the suspicion was disproved by the negative results of gel precipitation. 3. The final deduction concerning the exogenic character of Klebsiella mastitis should encourage efforts for good housing, due nutrition, efficacious disinfection, and hygienic milk production.