Antibiotic resistance has been a growing issue in today’s society, microbes becoming increasingly resistant to the presence of even therapeutic levels of antibiotics. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are accelerating the process of resistance. The result of this antimicrobial resistance is that antibiotics are becoming ineffective, and infections in the body are not contained, risking the spread of these infections of others. Since the 1940s, antibiotics have been used in cattle as preventative medicine for mastitis, an inflammatory disease that affects livestock, resulting from a bacterial infection of the mammary gland.
Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland, which significantly reduces milk production and affects approximately 20% of cows per year. Commercial cattle are exposed to many bacteria, being confined in a space where they make constant contact with fomites, such as automatic milking machines and unhygienic living conditions. Infection of the mammary gland by opportunistic bacteria causes mastitis and the most contagious pathogens have evolved to produce virulence factors that promote chronic survival. These living conditions include infected bedding, animal waste, and an over population of disease carrying insects. The specific bacteria that have been cited as causing mastitis are Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Mastitis causes a high economic impact to farmers, and also poses a risk to human health. Bovine mastitis is a costly disease of the dairy industry especially due to losses from early culling of lactating cows, decreased milk production, and inferior milk quality. Currently, the mainstay of treatment for this infection required the use of many different types of antibiotics, which have proven to be costly and not entirely efficient or effective. Treatment of mastitis by antibiotics has the potential not only for creating antibiotic resistant organisms, but also antibiotic contamination of milk for human consumption.
Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland, which significantly reduces milk production and affects approximately 20% of cows per year. Commercial cattle are exposed to many bacteria, being confined in a space where they make constant contact with fomites, such as automatic milking machines and unhygienic living conditions. Infection of the mammary gland by opportunistic bacteria causes mastitis and the most contagious pathogens have evolved to produce virulence factors that promote chronic survival. These living conditions include infected bedding, animal waste, and an over population of disease carrying insects. The specific bacteria that have been cited as causing mastitis are Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Mastitis causes a high economic impact to farmers, and also poses a risk to human health. Bovine mastitis is a costly disease of the dairy industry especially due to losses from early culling of lactating cows, decreased milk production, and inferior milk quality. Currently, the mainstay of treatment for this infection required the use of many different types of antibiotics, which have proven to be costly and not entirely efficient or effective. Treatment of mastitis by antibiotics has the potential not only for creating antibiotic resistant organisms, but also antibiotic contamination of milk for human consumption.
Our proposed solution is twofold: first a topical salve that will prevent contact with the pathogen, and second, we will develop an environmental infection control plan to prevent and control these pathogens on the cattle farm. A salve is an ointment used to promote the healing of the skin. The salve we are planning to design will break the chain of infection from a fomite (a contaminated object), such as the milking machines, unwashed hands, soiled bedding and feces. In breaking the chain of infection, we are looking to limit the disastrous effects of this disease as well as preventing further spread and contamination of other cows.