Project

Contact: Dr. med. vet. Doreen Becker

Duration: 2025-2028

Funding: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

Abstract:

The increasing resistance to antibiotics, caused in part by the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, poses a threat to humans, animals, and the environment and is therefore an important factor in One Health concepts. In dairy cattle, most antibiotics are used to combat mastitis. In addition, a number of mastitis pathogens also have the potential to cause disease in humans. Early detection of animals at risk of disease and their targeted management can reduce the use of antibiotics and subsequently antimicrobial resistance. Previous research projects have identified quarter milk cell count as a promising biomarker for identifying animals at risk of mastitis. This project aims to test the practical suitability of this biomarker in dairy cow herds. To this end, specific milk samples will be taken from cows in early lactation and examined for cell content and pathogens using microbiological methods. In the first phase of the project, the data will be compared with disease incidence rates together with environmental parameters in order to verify the biomarker character in a practical population. Milk from animals showing abnormalities, e.g., collagenase-negative staphylococcal colonization, will be made available to the project partners for further characterization. In the second part of the project, the biomarker information will be used to test proactive health management of potentially affected animals in dairy cattle herds.