Managerial risk-factors of intramammary infection with streptococcus-agalactiae in dairy herds in Ohio

Dairy herds in Ohio were selected by stratified random sampling for participation in a disease-monitoring study to relate Streptococcus agalactiae intramammary prevalence to herd management and environmental conditions. Of 48 herds studied, 27 herds had at least 1 cow infected with this pathogen. Management and environmental conditions were assessed by direct observation as well as by an interview with the dairy producers. One-way ANOVA or chi-2 analysis, with presence or absence of Streptococcus agalactiae as the dependent variable, was used to test each of 70 independent variables. Variables found significant at P < 0.20 were further evaluated by use of logistic regression. Our sample size permitted only 4 independent variables to be simultaneously evaluated by logistic regression. The most predictive risk factors were identified as poor teat and udder hygiene, poor environmental sanitation, large herd population, and use of a shared washcloth for premilking cleaning of teats and udders.PT: J; CR: 1987, CENSUS AGR AC87A35, V1 1987, CURRENT CONCEPTS BOV, P1 1987, LABORATORY FIELD HDB, P1 1990, STATISTICAL ANAL SYS 1992, ANAL SOFTWARE STATIS BARTLETT PC, 1992, J DAIRY SCI, V75, P1241 BARTLETT PC, 1992, PREV VET MED, V12, P59 DARGENTMOLINA P, 1988, PREV VET MED, V6, P127 DODD FH, 1986, PROGR MASTITIS CONTR, P5 GILL JL, 1978, DESIGN ANAL EXPT ANI, V1, P1 GUSTAPHSON TL, 1985, EPISTAT STATISTICAL GUTTERBOCK WM, 1984, COMPEND CONTIN EDUC, V6, S651 HOSMER DW, 1989, APPL LOGISTIC REGRES, P1 KLEINBAUM DG, 1988, APPL REGRESSION ANAL, P1 MILLER GY, 1990, J AM VET MED ASSOC, V198, P227 MOXLEY JE, 1978, J DAIRY SCI, V61, P1637 NG SKC, 1991, AM J EPIDEMIOL, V133, P1073 PANKEY JW, 1987, J DAIRY SCI, V70, P867 PANKEY JW, 1987, TEAT DIPPING TOOL CO, P156 PHILPOT WN, 1979, J DAIRY SCI, V62, P168 ROTHER K, 1988, COMPLEMENT SYSTEM, P1 SCHUKKEN YH, 1990, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUD, P70 SCHUKKEN YH, 1990, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUD, P91 SMITH LK, 1986, PRACTICAL MEASURES M, P36; NR: 24; TC: 9; J9: AMER J VET RES; PG: 7; GA: JL465Source type: Electronic(1