Abstract
The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the clinical status of the mammary glands and (2) compare it with the bacteriological findings, the total cell content (TCC) and its percentage of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNLs) and pH in colostrum and milk secretion of sows on 2 different feeding regimes, high versus low, during late pregnancy. The milk samples were collected from both agalactia post partum (APP) sows and clinically healthy sows. Sows with a rectal temperature exceeding 39.5°C within 48 h after parturition were considered to be diseased in APP and treated medically. The sows were sampled on days 1, 3, 8 and 22 of lactation during 6 consecutive lactations.
Irrespective of feeding regimes, 49 out of 77 lactations among the APP sows and 15 out of 96 lactations among the clinically healthy sows revealed E. coli in pure cultures with a concomitant TCC exceeding 10×106 cell/ml already on the first day of lactation. The healthy sows with E. coli infection were denominated as being subclinically infected sows. The intensity in growth of E. coli successively declined, and the bacteria were finally eliminated between days 3 and 8 of lactation. The TCC were 82×106 cells/ml and 157×l06 cells/ml in the clinically and subclinically E. coli infected glands, respectively, on the first day of sampling. The TCC declined gradually in both groups of sows, but was still higher than in bacteriologically negative milk on day 22 of lactation. The percentages of PMNLs were 66% and 79% in clinically and subclinically infected glands, respectively, on day 1 of lactation, thereafter decreasing to approximately 50% on day 22 of lactation in both groups of sows.
In APP sows, swelling, reddening and/or soreness were registered in 38 out of 87 mammary glands with E. coli mastitis on the first sampling occasion.
The TCC in bacteriologically negative colostrum and milk collected from APP sows on day 1 of lactation was significantly higher, 2.27×106 cells/ml, when compared with the TCC in bacteriologically negative milk secretion from the clinically healthy or subclinically infected sows, 1.38×106 cells/ml versus 1.51×106 cells/ml, respectively. The PMNLs were higher on day 1 in clinically healthy sows, 59.6%, than in subclinically infected and APP sows (43.5% and 48.3% respectively).
The pH in secretion from clinically or subclinically E. coli infected glands (6.57 versus 6.46) were higher than in bacteriologically negative colostrum samples (6.29) from clinically diseased sows on the first day of sampling. On day 22 of lactation, pH-values had stabilized on a level of approximately 7.00 in all milk samples from earlier bacteriologically positive or negative mammary glands.
The 2 feeding regimes, low versus high, were not found to influence TCC, PMNLs or pH except for TCC in bacteriologically negative samples of APP sows (2.69 versus 3.62).
The lactation number influenced the PMNLs in both groups of sows with E. coli infected mammary glands, and both the TCC and PMNLs in bacteriologically negative colostrum and milk.
Keywords: agalactia, post partum, feeding, mastitis
Sammanfattning
Syftet med föreliggande studie var att (1) fastställa juvrets kliniska status och (2) jämföra detta med bakteriologiska fynd, det totala cellinnehållet (TCC) och andelen polymorfkärniga leukocyter (PMNL) därav och pH i kolostrum och mjölk från suggor som stått på två olika utfodringsnivåer, låg respektive hög, under sen dräktighet. Mjölkkprov uttogs från såväl sjuka, (agalakti post partum, APP), som från kliniskt friska suggor. Suggor med en rektaltemperatur överstigande 39.5°C inom 48 timmar efter förlossningen betraktades som sjuka och behandlades. Proverna togs på dag 1, 3, 8 och 22 i laktationen under sex på varandra följande laktationer.
Oavsett utfodringsnivå upptäcktes under 49 av 77 laktationer bland APP-suggorna och 15 av 96 laktationer bland de kliniskt friska suggorna E. coli i renkultur åtföljt av ett TCC överstigande 10×106 celler/ml redan under första dagen av laktationen. Friska suggor med E. coli kom att benämnas subkliniskt infekterade. Intensiteten i E. coli växten avklingade successivt och bakterierna eliminerades slutligen mellan dag 3 och 8 av laktationen. Första provtagningsdagen uppgick TCC till 82×106 celler/ml respektive 157×106 celler/ml i de kliniskt och subkliniskt E. coli infekterade juverdelarna. TCC sjönk gradvis i de båda suggrupperna men var ändå högre än i bakteriologiskt negativ mjölk på dag 22 i laktationen.
På dag 1 uppgick andelen PMNL till 66% respektive 79% i kliniskt och subkliniskt infekterade juverdelar, varefter nivån sjönk till cirka 50% fram till dag 22 i laktationen inom båda grupperna. Bland APP-suggorna registrerades svullnad, rodnad och/eller ömhet hos 38 av 87 juverdelar med E. coli mastit vid första provtagningstillfallet.
TCC i bakteriologiskt negativ kolostrum uttaget från APP-suggor under första dagen av laktationen var signifikant högre, 2,27×106 celler/ml, jämfört med TCC i bakteriologiskt negativ kolostrum från kliniskt friska eller subkliniskt infekterade suggor, 1,3 8×106 celler/ml respektive 1,51×106 celler/ml. PMNL var högre dag 1 bland kliniskt friska suggor, 59,6%, än bland subkliniskt infekterade suggor och APP-suggor (43,5% respektive 48,3%).
Under första provtagningsdagen var pH i kolostrum från kliniskt eller subkliniskt E. coli infekterade juverdelar (6,57 respektive 6,46) högre än i bakteriologiskt negativa kolostrumprov (6,29) från kliniskt sjuka suggor. På dag 22 hade pH-värdet stabiliserats på en nivå av cirka 7,00 i alla mjölkprov oavsett om juverdelarna tidigare varit bakteriologiskt positiva eller negativa.
De två utfodringsnivåerna, låg eller hög, påverkade inte TCC, PMNL eller pH med undantag för TCC i bakteriologiskt negativa prover bland APP-suggor (2,69 kontra 3,62).
Laktationsnumret påverkade PMNL bland båda grupperna av E. coli infekterade juverdelar, och både TCC och PMNL i bakteriologiskt negativ kolostrum och mjölk.
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Acknowledgment
This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agriculture Research and from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
The authors are grateful to Prof. Stig Einarsson and Prof. Göran Åström for valuable discussions and advice, and to Miss Catharina Falkenberg for showing such endurance with the laborative work.
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