Dairy cow monitoring is a disruptive technology, to say the least. Since its introduction, this tool has turned traditional cow management upside down by providing actionable insights into cow health and behavior often unseen by human eyes. These data are then used to hone dairy herd performance while saving time, labor and costs.

Klebsiella is a gram-negative bacteria that can cause severe clinical mastitis in dairy cows. If they survive the illness, cows are often culled due to low milk production. This article describes some common ways Klebsiella is transmitted from the environment to teats and strategies on how to prevent Klebsiella mastitis cases on your farm.

The treatment of clinical mastitis has dramatically changed in the approximately 50 years of my veterinary career. The major focus has been on the proper and judicious use of antibiotics in dairy cattle and assuring the public there are no antibiotic residues in the milk supply. 

Among the more problematic pathogens affecting cattle, Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) stands out for its involvement in chronic infections. The interaction between the outer makeup of the microorganism and the animal’s immune response contributes to its insidious nature, making treatment as well as prevention difficult.

Globally, whether working in a continuously housed dairy or a grazing herd, it is generally accepted that the transition period brings the complexity of shifting metabolic priorities.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent global health threats and development challenges scientists face today. And dairy is responding with stewardship and materials that advance our industry’s interests in combating the threat.