Bovine mastitis associated with Prototheca blaschkeae

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

marques, s (Author) Other; silva, e (Author) Other; kraft, c (Author) Other; carvalheira, j (Author) ICBAS; videira, a (Author) ICBAS; huss, var (Author) Other; thompson, g (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Vol. 46

Pages: 1941-1945

ISSN: 0095-1137

Publisher: American Society for Microbiology

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 36 Citations

Scopus - 38 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-Z0A

DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00323-08

Abstract (EN): Bovine mastitis is an important and complex disease responsible for economic losses in the dairy industry. Biotype II strains of the green alga Prototheca zopfii can be involved, most often resulting in chronic mastitis of difficult treatment associated with reduced milk production. This type of infection is rare, but the number of reported cases is increasing worldwide. In order to determine the kind of species involved in mastitis by Prototheca in northwest Portugal, 41 Prototheca isolates were genetically characterized. The algae are part of Prototheca isolates that were collected during a 6-year period, isolated from the milk of 41 dairy cows in a total of 22 herds with a history of increasing somatic cell counts, mild clinical signs of udder infection, and unsuccessful response to the usual therapy. PCR amplification of the 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), amplified rDNA restriction analysis, and phylogenetic analyses of the 18S rDNA sequences were performed. Thirty-seven isolates were identified as P. zopfii var. hydrocarbonea and four as Prototheca blaschkeae. These data suggest a high incidence of P. zopfii var. hydrocarbonea mastitis in the region and demonstrate for the first time the involvement of P. blaschkeae with bovine mammary gland infections.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific