Application of a bacteriological on-farm test to reduce antimicrobial usage in dairy cows with purulent vaginal discharge (original) (raw)
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Validation of On-Farm Bacteriological Systems for Endometritis Diagnosis in Postpartum Dairy Cows
Animals
The objective of this study was to validate the accuracy of the results of on-farm bacteriological culture media (Tri-plate and Petrifilm) from endometrial samples compared with the ones from the diagnostic laboratory. A cross-sectional observational study was set up within two dairy herd clients of the Université de Montréal. A total of 189 cows in the postpartum period were systematically enrolled to collect two uterine samples from cytobrushes during the same examination. The first cytobrush was used to inoculate the Tri-plate medium directly and then was sent to the reference laboratory for aerobic bacterial culture. The second cytobrush was used to make a microscopic smear for cytological analysis (proportion of polymorphonuclear cells) and subsequently diluted in 1 mL of saline to inoculate the Petrifilm medium. From these data, statistical analyses were computed to optimize the summation of sensitivity and specificity of the two systems compared with the results of the refere...
Therapeutic efficacy of non-antibiotic protocols for endometritis in crossbred dairy cows
Thirty endometritic crossbred dairy cows diagnosed were randomly allotted to three groups with 10 each to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of some non-antibiotic protocols. Cows in Group I received 30 ml ozonated oil intrauterine (i.u), Group II 500mg of oyster glycogen in 30 ml PBS i.u and Group III 30ml PBS i.u as control. Uterine flushings were collected on the day of estrus before and after treatment (next immediate estrus) and tested for pH, whiteside test, endometrial cytology and determination of common aerobic bacteria. The mean pH of uterine flushings in all the groups before treatment was 7.95. A significant reduction in mean pH was observed following treatment with ozonated oil (7.46) and oyster glycogen (7.31) whereas no significant change in the untreated cows (7.77) was recorded. Aerobic bacteria isolated in the uterus of endometritic cows were E. coli, Staphylococcus sp. Enterobacter sp. and Proteus sp. Following treatment, 60 per cent (6/10) in Group I, 80 per cent (8/10) in Group II and 30 per cent (3/10) in Groups III cows were recovered based on whiteside test and endometrial cytology results. The conception rate was higher (87.50%) in Group II followed by 66.66 per cent in Group I and 33.33 per cent in Group III.
The effect of treatment of clinical endometritis on reproductive performance in dairy cows
Journal of dairy science, 2002
The objective of this field trial was to compare the effect of intrauterine (i.u.) antibiotic or intramuscular (i.m.) prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) on time to pregnancy in dairy cows diagnosed with clinical endometritis between 20 and 33 days in milk (DIM). The case definition of endometritis was the presence of purulent uterine discharge or cervical diameter > 7.5 cm, or the presence of muco-purulent discharge after 26 DIM. There were 316 cows with endometritis from 27 farms assigned randomly within herd to receive 500 mg of cephapirin benzathine intrauterine (i.u.), 500 micrograms of cloprostenol i.m., or no treatment. The rate of resolution of clinical signs 14 d after treatment was 77% and was not affected by treatment. Reproductive performance was monitored for a minimum of 7 mo after treatment. Survival analysis (multivariable proportional hazards regression) was used to measure the effect of treatment on time to pregnancy. There was no benefit of treatment of endomet...
Journal of Reproduction and Development, 2014
We investigated the relationship between the persistence of uterine bacterial infections with cytologically determined endometritis and ovarian function in 65 postpartum Holstein cows. Vaginal mucus discharges were collected, and endometrial smear samples (n = 130) were collected for cytological and bacteriological examinations from the cows at weeks 5 and 7 postpartum (pp). Blood samples were collected at weeks 3, 5 and 7 pp to determine plasma progesterone concentrations to monitor ovarian activity. According to the bacteriological examination, cows were classified into four groups. The first group (n = 32; 49%) comprised cows negative for bacteria at weeks 5 and 7 pp. The second group (n = 11; 17%) comprised cows with bacterial infections at week 5 pp but that were clear of infection at week 7 pp. The third group (n = 12; 19%) comprised cows without bacteria at week 5 pp but that acquired an infection by week 7 pp. The fourth group (n = 10; 15%) comprised cows with bacterial infections at weeks 5 and 7 pp (persistence of infection). A positive correlation (P < 0.001) was noted between the severity of cytologically determined endometritis, purulent vaginal discharge and the persistence of infection. Cows with persistent infections had a significantly (P < 0.01) prolonged luteal phase compared with cows without infection. In conclusion, the prevalence of cytologically determined endometritis and prolonged luteal phase were significantly increased in cows with persistent infections.
Theriogenology, 2013
Studies of treatment of postpartum endometritis in dairy cows indicate that prostaglandin (PGF 2a ) might result in similar outcomes as intrauterine antibiotics, but the effect might depend on the presence of a CL. The objective was to compare reproductive performance in cows with purulent vaginal discharge treated on the basis of having or not having a CL (CL-dependent treatment; CLdep), versus treatment of all affected cows with an intrauterine antibiotic alone. Cows (N ¼ 756) from 36 seasonal calving dairy herds in New Zealand were enrolled on the basis of having a vaginal discharge score (VDS) !2 (mucus with flecks of pus or more purulent) after examination with the Metricheck device (Simcro, Hamilton, New Zealand) and !14 days after calving. The presence of a CL was assessed by transrectal palpation. Cows were randomly assigned within farm to be treated with an intrauterine antibiotic (0.5 g cephapirin) irrespective of CL status, or treated with PGF 2a if a CL was present and cephapirin if a CL was not present (CLdep). The VDS was reassessed 14 days later. Cows were bred using standard practices and pregnancy was tested to define the date of conception. The proportion of cows clinically cured (i.e., with a VDS 1 at reexamination) did not differ between treatment groups (0.82 AE 0.03 vs. 0.80 AE 0.03) for the group of cows treated with an intrauterine antibiotic irrespective of CL status and the CLdep groups, respectively (P ¼ 0.66). The proportions of cows submitted for AI by 21 days into the breeding program, pregnant to first breeding, pregnant by 42 days into the breeding program, and at the end of the breeding program, and the interval from the start of the mating program to pregnancy did not differ among treatment groups. Cows that had positive VDS (i.e., >1) at Day 14 after treatment had lower proportions of conception and pregnancy than those with lower (<2) VDS. A treatment protocol in which cows with purulent vaginal discharge with a palpable CL were treated with PGF 2a and those without a CL with intrauterine cephapirin resulted in reproductive performance that was not inferior to treating all cows with an intrauterine antibiotic.
The prevalence of subclinical endometritis and intrauterine infections in repeat breeder cows
Theriogenology, 2015
The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of subclinical endometritis and the presence of common uterine pathogens in repeat breeder cows. A total of 121 cows with ≥3 consecutive artificial inseminations without conception and no clinical signs of disease were defined as repeat breeder cows and enrolled in this trial. Intrauterine samples were collected with the cytobrush technique to determine the prevalence of subclinical endometritis and bacteriological infections. Blood samples were analyzed for concentrations of progesterone and estradiol in plasma to assess ovarian activity. Furthermore, breed, parity, history of calving and postpartum uterine infection, clinical findings of transrectal palpation, and backfat thickness were analyzed as potential factors for the prevalence of subclinical endometritis in repeat breeder cows. The prevalence of subclinical endometritis in repeat breeder cows was 12.7%, but common uterine pathogens Escherichia coli and Trueperella pyogenes were found in only one and three cows, respectively. Ovarian activity was determined in 95.0% of all cows. Recorded variables had no effect on the prevalence of subclinical endometritis in repeat breeder cows. In conclusion, subclinical endometritis and uterine infections linked to common pathogens were playing a minor role as cause for repeat breeder cows in this study. Alternative reasons for failure to conceive in these cows are discussed.
Theriogenology, 2020
Cows in estrus but with signs of clinical endometritis (CE) are often not inseminated or undergo an intrauterine treatment after artificial insemination (AI). Decades ago, the so-called Astr€ om method was described as intrauterine infusion of iodine-potassium solution 2e4 days after AI. Nowadays, it is common to use antibiotics instead of iodine solution and the treatment is performed only a few hours after AI. Although widespread in practice, there is only little information about the efficacy of this treatment. Thus, this study evaluated the effect of a post-breeding intrauterine treatment with cephapirin on insemination success in cows with signs of mild CE. In total, 281 cows subjected to an Ovsynch program with fixed-time AI and examined for vaginal discharge straight after AI by use of the Metricheck device were included. Cows with cloudy discharge or flecks of pus in the mucus were assigned to a treatment or a control group. The treatment group (MET; n ¼ 87) received 6 ± 1 h after AI an intrauterine treatment with 500 mg of cephapirin (Metricure, Intervet Deutschland GmbH). Control cows (CON; n ¼ 91) remained untreated. Animals with clear discharge were assigned to a healthy comparison group (HE; n ¼ 103). Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 39 days after AI. The proportion of pregnant cows after the AI directly preceding the enrollment did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between HE (35.0%), CON (27.5%) and MET (32.2%). Cephapirin treatment had also no positive effect on other reproductive performance measures, i.e, the percentage of pregnant cows 200 days after enrollment (HE: 64.1%, CON: 73.6%, and MET: 73.6%) or the mean interval from enrollment to conception (HE: 25.4 days, CON: 30.0 days, and MET: 29.7 days). The binary logistic regression showed that the only risk factors with a detrimental effect on fertility were a history of CE 28e34 days postpartum and season. Although cows in MET and HE were 1.74 and 1.37 times more likely to conceive after AI than CON, this effect was not significant. Uterine sampling of a subset of cows with CE (n ¼ 50) revealed 127 bacterial isolates. The most frequently found genera were Staphylococcus (19.7%), Bacillus (12.6%), Streptococcus (10.2%), Corynebacterium (8.7%), and Lysinibacillus (7.9%). The finding that common uterine pathogenic bacteria were rarely detected additionally questions an intrauterine antibiotic treatment of cows with mild CE at AI.
Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 2017
This study aims to demonstrate the relationship among vaginal secretions, bacterial isolates, and endometrial cytology during 20-30 days postpartum in beef cows. Background: Endometritis is one of the most common diseases that occurs in dairy cow after several weeks postpartum period. There is two types of endometritis, clinical and subclinical endometritis that cause severe economic losses by increased days open, calving interval and numbers of services to conception. Materials and Methods: A total of 82 beef cows, aged 3 years to 7 years and at 20-30 days post-calving, were enrolled in this study. All the cows were checked by transrectal palpation, ultrasound, and vaginal secretions collection. A four-grade system (0 = clear mucus, 1 = mucus containing flecks of pus, 2 = discharge including < 50% pus, and 3 = involving > 50% pus) was used to categorize vaginal secretions of these cows. Endometrial cytology and bacteriological samples were then collected using a cytobrush technique. Results: Nine of 82 beef cows (11%) had abnormal vaginal secretions (grade 1-3) and indicated to clinical endometritis (CE), and nine of 73 clinically healthy cows (12.32%) had subclinical endometritis (SCE, ≥ 8 % PMN cows). The agreement among endometrial examination, polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage (PMN %), and vaginal discharge score (0-3) was moderate (k = 0.48, p < 0.01), whereas that between vaginal discharge score (0-3) and bacteriological finding was poor (k = 0.032, p = 0.51). The agreement between bacterial finding and PMN % was also poor (k = 0.15, p = 0.02). Escherichia coli was the most common bacteria isolated from healthy (14.6 %), CE (38.8 %), and SCE (42.8 %) cows. Moreover, E. coli was the major bacteriological risk factor for SCE occurrence. E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the most common risk factors for the occurrence of CE. Conclusion: A moderate agreement exists among PMN %, bacteriological findings, and vaginal secretions, whereas a poor agreement exists between bacterial findings and PMN %. E. coli, S. aureus, and dystocia were the major factors affecting uterine infection in beef cows. CE and SCE insignificantly affected the reproductive performance of beef cows.
Isolation and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Bacteria from Dairy Cows with Clinical Endometritis
2013
Clinical endometritis is inflammation of the endometrial lining of the uterus and is associated with delayed uterine involution and poor fertility. Bacterial pathogens are a potential cause when cows fail to conceive on one or more cycles in the same season. Furthermore, emerging bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics has been demonstrated. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated bacteria from cows with clinical endometritis. In this study, a total of 24vaginal discharge swabs from cows with clinical endometritis problems were evaluated and the bacterial isolates were identified and measured for resistance to 8 antibiotics most commonly used during bacterial infection. 91.66% percent of the examined cows were positive for bacteriological investigations. Amongst 22 successful isolations, 25% were S. pyogenes, 20.8% Escherichia coli and 20.8% Streptococcus spp. considered frequently associated with fertility problems. Determination of the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolates showed that all isolates of S. aureus were resistant to ampicillin, oxacillin and vancomycin. E. coli showed resistance to sulphamethaxazole (40%), polymixin (100%), tetracycline (100%), oxacillin (40%), gentamycin (40%) and cefoxitin (100%). The isolates of A. pyogenes showed resistance to polymixin (66.66%), tetracycline (66.66%), oxacillin (16.66%), gentamycin (50%) and cefoxitin (16.66%). Klebsiella spp. showed resistance to only cefoxitin (100%). This study revealed that the clinical endometritis is mainly due to A. Pyogenes,E.coli and Streptococcus spp. This study revealed that the bacteria A. pyogenes followed by Streptococcus Spp. and E. coli are more commonly isolated in clinical endometritis in cows and the drugscefoxitin and sulphamethaxazole are highly effective.
Microbial profile, Antibiogram and Conception rate following treatment in Repeat breeder cows
Seventy five percent samples from repeat breeder cows were positive for bacterial isolates with single organism in 76.67% (46) and mixed infections in 23.33% (14) samples. Staphylococcus spp. was predominant 16 (21.05%) isolates followed by E. coli 14 (18.42%), Bacillus spp. 10 (13.16%), Corynebacterium spp. 10 (13.16 %), Pseudomonas spp. 8 (10.53%), Proteus spp. 8 (10.53%), Klebsiella spp. 6 (7.89%) and Streptococcus spp. 4 (5.26%). Levofloxacin was found to be the most effective antimicrobial with 90.79 % sensitivity followed by Gentamicin (85.53%), Enrofloxacin (73.68%), Neomycin (72.39%), Ciprofloxacin (71.05%), Oxytetracycline (71.05%), Ofloxacin (71.05%), Ceftriaxone (67.11%) and Ampicillin/ Cloxacillin (38.16%). The animals were treated based on AST with Levofloxacin, Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin and untreated control group revealed conception rate of 93.33, 80.00, 73.33 and 20.00% respectively. Keywords: Antibiogram; cows; conception rate; microbial profile; repeat breeder.