EXPERIENCES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN IN TRAMAMMARY INFUSION WITHOUTCONTAINING ANTIBIOTICS .1. INCIDENCE AND CLINICAL-FEATURES OF MASTITIS WITH DIFFERENT BACTERIOLOGICAL BACKGROUNDS ON 7 LARGE-SCALE DAIRY FARMS

Incidence and bacteriological backgrounds of acute mastitis were analy sed on the basis of the clinical features observed in 311 udder quarte rs of 297 cows on seven large-scale dairy farms. Evaluation of the cli nical picture on points was carried out according to the recommendatio ns of Pyorala and Syvajarvi (34, Table 1). When mastitis was diagnosed , bacteriological examinations were carried out to identify the pathog en and determine its antibiotic sensitivity. Of 213 udder quarters (68 %), aerobic/facultative pathogenic anaerobic bacteria, in most cases s o-called Gram-positive major pathogens (S. aureus: n = 48 = 15.4%; S. uberis: n = 46 = 14.8%; S. dysgalactiae: n = 32 = 10.3%), as well as o f the Gram-negative mastitis pathogens, E. coli (n = 42 = 13.5%) were isolated. Of the further Gram-positive mastitis pathogens S. agalactia e was not, while A. pyogenes was isolated only sporadically (n = 5). T he latter was almost in all cases (n = 4) in the society of obligate a naerobic bacteria (Bacteroides, Peptostreptococcus strains). Of the Gr am-positive minor pathogens, the importance of other streptococci, whi ch more nearly could not be identified, significantly surpassed that o f coagulase-negative staphylococci. From another 35 udder quarters (11 .2%), mixed aerobic cultures were isolated, while pathogens could not be isolated (n = 63 = 20.3%, Table 2). Resistance of S. aureus strains against penicillin, ampicillin and novobiocin should deserve attentio n together with their high sensitivity to cefalexin; the resistance of S. dysgalactiae and S. uberis strains against aminoglycosides and nov obiocin, as well as the penicillin and cefalexin sensitivity of their majority. Higher percentage of E. coli strains showed sensitivity only to aminoglycosides (first of all to streptomycin). Clinical importanc e could be attributed the observation that the soft propolis, even in low concentrations, in vivo inhibited the growth of several Gram-posit ive major pathogens (first of all that of S. aureus and S. dysgalactia e). However, E coli did not show any sensitivity to the propolis (Tabl e 3). During the postnatal days, incidence of clinical pictures caused by bacteria capable to survive in the udder for a longer period (firs t of all S. aureus, S. dysgalactiae and also S. uberis) surpassed the ratio to be expected in proportion to time while that of aseptic cases fell behind that (Table 4).