Post-milking teat dipping in prevention of intramammary infections under natural exposure to mastitis pathogens

Abstract

Two post-milking teat dip preparations, viz. iodine (0.5%) and chlorhexidine (0.5 %), were evahuated in prevention of new intramammary infections for 11 months under conditions of natural exposure to mastitis pathogens. The overall reductions in the intramammary infection rates were 54.60 and 53.38% with iodine and chlorhcxidine teat dips respectively. The iodine teat dip could prevent 79.16, 59.92 and 70.21 % of infections due to Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci and StreplococcUs agalacliae respectively. The corresponding reductions of these organisms with chlorhcxidinc teat dip were 79.80, 41.73 and 78.36% respectively. However, teat dipping could not prevent new infections due to corynebacteria, and environmental organisms, viz. strept,ococci other than Str. agaiacliae and coliforms.