Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the incidence of clinical mastitis in bovines of Jammu region, to identify the infectious organisms responsible for it, and the antimicrobial sensitivity of isolated pathogens.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on cases that were presented to the Medicine Division of Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 260 cases of bovines were presented from June 30, 2012, to July 01, 2013, out of which 30 cases were of clinical mastitis. The diagnosis of clinical mastitis was made on the basis of history and clinical examination of affected animals.

Results: Animal and quarter-wise incidence of clinical mastitis were found to be 11.5% and 5.76%, respectively. Of the 23 isolates obtained, Staphylococcus aureus (60.87%) was the most frequently isolated organism, followed by coagulase negative Staphylococci (13.04%), Streptococcus uberis (4.35%), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (8.69%), and Escherichia coli (13.04%). The antimicrobial sensitivity of isolates revealed maximum sensitivity to enrofloxacin, gentamicin, amoxicillin/ sulbactam, ceftriaxone/tazobactam, ceftizoxime, ampicillin/sulbactam and least sensitivity for oxytetracycline and penicillin.

Conclusion: Staphylococcus spp. is the major causative agent of clinical mastitis in bovines of Jammu region. The causative agents of the clinical mastitis were most sensitive to enrofloxacin and gentamicin.

Keywords: antimicrobial sensitivity, bovines, clinical mastitis, incidence.

1. Lam, T.J.G., van den Borne, B.H.P., Jansen, J., Huijps, K., van Veersen, J.C.L., van Schaik, G. and Hogeveen, H. (2013) Improving bovine udder health: A National Control Program in the Netherlands. J. Dairy Sci., 96: 1301-1311. [Crossref] [PubMed]

2. Trevisi, E., Zecconi, A., Cogrossi, S., Razzuoli, E., Grossi, P. and Amadori, M. (2014) Strategies for reduced antibiotic usage in dairy cattle farms. Res. Vet. Sci., 96: 229-233. [Crossref] [PubMed]

3. Leelahapongsathon, K., Schukken, Y.H. and Suriyasathaporn, W. (2014), Quarter, cow, and farm chance factors for inframammary infections with major pathogens relative to minor pathogens in Thai dairy cows. Trop. Anim. Health Prod., 46: 1067-1078. [Crossref] [PubMed]

4. de Vliegher, S., Fox, L.K., Piepers, S., McDougall, S. and Barkema, H.W. (2012) Mastitis in dairy heifers: Nature of the disease, potential impact, prevention, and control. J. Dairy Sci., 95: 1025-1040. [Crossref] [PubMed]

5. Bansal, B.K. and Gupta, D.K. (2009) Economic analysis of bovine mastitis in India and Punjab - A review. Indian J. Dairy Sci., 62(5): 337-345.

6. White, D.G. and Mcdermott, P.F. (2001) Emergence and transfer of antibiotic resistance. J. Dairy Sci., 84: 151-155. [Crossref]

7. Quinn, P.J., Carter, M.E., Markey, B. and Carter, G.R. (2004) Clinical Veterinary Microbiology. Wolf/Mosby, London.

8. Bauer, A.W., Kieby, W.M.M., Shrenis, J.C. and Turck, M. (1966) Antibiotic susceptibity testing by a standardized single disc diffusion method. Am. J. Clin. Pathol., 45: 453-496.

9. Ghose, B., Sharda, R., Chhabra, D., Garg, U.K. and Tiwari, S. (2001) Clinical mastitis in cows of Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh: Incidence, etiology and antibiogram of bacterial isolates. Indian. J. Vet. Med., 25: 349-352.

10. Tolosa, T., Verbeke, J., Piepers, S., Supre, K. and de Vliegher, S. (2013) Risk factors associated with subclinical mastitis as detected by California mastitis test in smallholder dairy farms in Jimma, Ethiopia using multilevel modelling. Prev. Vet. Med., 112: 68-75. [Crossref]

11. Riekerink, O., Barkema, H.W., Kelton, D.F. and Scholl, D.T. (2008) Incidence rate of clinical mastitis on Canadian dairy farms. J. Dairy Sci., 91(4): 1366-1377. [Crossref] [PubMed]

12. Sharma, A., Singh, R., Beigh, S.A. and Bhardwaj, R.K. (2012) Prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis in cross breed cattle from Jammu region. Vet. Pract., 13(2): 356-357.

13. Verbeke, J., Piepers, S., Supre, K. and de Vliegher, K. (2014) Pathogen-specific incidence rate of clinical mastitis in Flemish dairy herds, severity, and association with herd hygiene. J. Dairy Sci., 97: 6926-6934. [Crossref] [PubMed]

14. Sudhan, N.A., Singh, R., Singh, M. and Soodan, J.S. (2005) Studies on prevalence, etiology and diagnosis of subclinical mastitis among crossbred cows. Indian. J. Anim. Res., 39(2): 127-130.

15. Tiwari, J.G., Sandeep, P., Chaudhari, P.K. and Tiwari, H.K. (2008) Studies on incidence of mastitis in relation to stage and number of lactation. Indian. Vet. J., 85: 1232.

16. Uppal, S.K., Singh, K.B., Roy, K.S., Nauriyal, D.C. and Bansal, B.K. (1994) Natural defence mechanism against mastitis: A comparative histomorphology of buffalo and cow teat canal. Buffalo J., 2: 125-131.

17. Bhutto, A., Murray, D.R. and Woldehiwet, Z. (2010) Udder shape and teat-end lesions as potential risk factors for high somatic cell counts and intra-mammary infections in dairy cows. Vet. J., 183: 63-67. [Crossref]

18. Paduch, J.H., Mohr, E. and Kromker, V. (2012) The association between teat end hyperkeratosis and teat canal microbial load in lactating dairy cattle. Vet. Microbiol., 158: 353-359. [Crossref] [PubMed]

19. Kurjogi, M.M. and Kaliwal, B.B. (2011) Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria isolated from bovine mastitis. Adv. Appl. Sci. Res., 2(6): 229-235.

20. Ranjan, R., Gupta, M.K. and Singh, K.K. (2011) Study of bovine mastitis in different climatic conditions in Jharkhand, India. Vet. World, 4: 205-208.

21. Keane, O.M., Budd, K.E., Flynn, J. and McCoy, F. (2013) Pathogen profile of clinical mastitis in Irish milk-recording herds reveals a complex aetiology. Vet. Rec., 173: 17. [Crossref] [PubMed]

22. Dhakal, I.P., Dhakal, P., Koshihara, T. and Nagahata, H. (2007) Epidemology and bacteriology survey of buffalo mastitis in Nepal. J. Vet. Med. Sci., 69: 1241-1245. [Crossref] [PubMed]

23. Sumathia, B.R., Veeregowda, B.M. and Gomes, A.R. (2008) Prevalence and antibiogram profile of bacterial isolates from clinical bovine mastitis. Vet. World, 1(8): 237-238.

24. Anakalo, S., Gathoni, A., Tura, G. and Milcah, M. (2004) Prevalence of bovine mastitis amongst small holder dairy herds in Kenya. Isr. J. Vet. Med., 59: 1-2.

25. Kaliwal, N.B., Singh, H.S. and Kumar, R.B. (2011) Antimicrobial sensitivity of coagulase negative Staphylococci from bovine mastitis in Karnataka. Indian Vet. J., 23(3): 115-118.

26. Awadkar, A.L. and Kulkarni, J.S. (2012) Antibiogram of Staphylococci isolates from bovine clinical and sub clinical mastitis. Indian Vet. J., 22(2): 109-113.

27. Alekish, M.O., Al-Qudah, K.M. and Al-Saleh, A. (2013) Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens isolated from bovine mastitis in northern Jordan. Rev. Med. Vet., 164(6): 319-326.

28. Mahami, T., Odonkor, S., Yaro, M. and Adu-Gyamfi, A. (2011) Prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in milk sold in Accra. Int. Res. J. Microbiol., 2(4): 126-132.

29. Pitkala, A., Haveri, M., Pyorala, S., Myllys, V. and Honkanen-Buzalski, T. (2004) Bovine mastitis in Finland 2001-prevalence, distribution of bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance. J. Dairy Sci., 87(8): 2433-2441. [Crossref]

30. Rajala-Schultz, P.J., Torres, A.H., Degraves, F.J., Gebreyes, W.A. and Patchanee, P. (2009) Antimicrobial resistance and genotypic characterization of coagulase-negative Staphylococci over the dry period. Vet. Microbiol., 134: 55-64. [Crossref] [PubMed]

31. Kenar, B., Kuyucuoglu, Y. and Seker, E. (2012) Antibiotic susceptibility of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis in Turkey. Pak. Vet. J., 32(3): 390-393.

32. Haftu, R., Habtamu, T., Getachew, G. and Kalayou, S. (2012) Prevalence, bacterial causes, and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of mastitis isolates from cows in large scale dairy farms of Northern Ethiopia. Trop. Anim. Health Prod., 44: 1765-1771. [Crossref] [PubMed]