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Meroni G, Sora V, Zaghen F, Laterza G, Martino PA, Zecconi A. Innovative Elastomers with Antimicrobial Activity May Decrease Infection Risks during Milking. Pathogens 2023; 12:1431. [PMID: 38133314 PMCID: PMC10747183 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Contagious pathogens are very costly to dairy herds, and they may have zoonotic and reverse-zoonotic potentials and may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. One of the most important risk factors for spreading these infections is milking, when liner contamination may transfer the pathogens from infected to healthy cows. There is no effective protocol to prevent the transmission of infection without the segregation of infected cows. Recently, the availability of elastomers with patented antimicrobial components in their formulations has allowed the exploration of alternative methods to reduce the risk of infection. Two different types of elastomers (rubber and silicone) and nine different formulations were challenged with three major mastitis pathogens (S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and E. coli). The results that were obtained in this study were interesting and unexpected. Indeed, to our knowledge, this is the first study to show that basic rubber materials have intrinsic antimicrobial activity. Silicone elastomers did not exhibit the same levels of bactericidal activity, although they did exhibit some antibacterial capacity. A significant decrease in bacterial survival curves was observed for all the formulations tested when antimicrobial components were added. The different results observed for the various products are likely due to the different formulations and diverse manufacturing processes. The availability of these new materials that significantly reduce the bacterial load on the liner surface may reduce the risk of spreading intramammary infections during milking. This would be an important step forward in achieving global sustainability of dairy herds, consistent with the objectives of One Health, by reducing the risks of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Meroni
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences-One Health Unit, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (V.S.); (F.Z.); (G.L.); (P.A.M.)
| | - Valerio Sora
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences-One Health Unit, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (V.S.); (F.Z.); (G.L.); (P.A.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Zaghen
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences-One Health Unit, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (V.S.); (F.Z.); (G.L.); (P.A.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Laterza
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences-One Health Unit, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (V.S.); (F.Z.); (G.L.); (P.A.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Piera Anna Martino
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences-One Health Unit, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (V.S.); (F.Z.); (G.L.); (P.A.M.)
| | - Alfonso Zecconi
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences-One Health Unit, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (V.S.); (F.Z.); (G.L.); (P.A.M.)
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Draghi S, Pavlovic R, Pellegrini A, Fidani M, Riva F, Brecchia G, Agradi S, Arioli F, Vigo D, Di Cesare F, Curone G. First Investigation of the Physiological Distribution of Legacy and Emerging Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Raw Bovine Milk According to the Component Fraction. Foods 2023; 12:2449. [PMID: 37444187 DOI: 10.3390/foods12132449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine milk is a pillar of the human diet and plays a key role in the nutrition of infants. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are well-recognized highly stable organic compounds that are able to pollute ecosystems persistently and threaten both human and animal health. The study aimed to analyze the distribution of 14 PFASs within the milk matrix by comparing their content in whole milk, and its skimmed and creamed fractions. Raw milk samples were individually collected from 23 healthy cows (10 primiparous and 13 multiparous) reared on a farm in Northern Italy not surrounded by known point sources of PFASs. Each sample was fractioned in whole, skim, and cream components to undergo PFAS analysis using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. All samples contained at least one PFAS, with perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) being the primary contaminant in all three fractions, followed by perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOS was shown to be significantly (p < 0.001) more concentrated in cream than in raw and skimmed milk. Multiparous cows showed a higher frequency of positive samples in all analyzed fractions. Further research is necessary to assess the risk of dairy diets and high-fat dairy products and to investigate the toxicological effects of PFASs on cattle, even in environments without known PFAS sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Draghi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Radmila Pavlovic
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility (ProMeFa), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Marco Fidani
- UNIRELAB Srl, Via Gramsci 70, 20019 Settimo Milanese, Italy
| | - Federica Riva
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Gabriele Brecchia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Stella Agradi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Francesco Arioli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Daniele Vigo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Federica Di Cesare
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Giulio Curone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
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Zecconi A, Zaghen F, Meroni G, Sora V, Martino PA, Laterza G, Zanini L. Early Milk Total and Differential Cell Counts as a Diagnostic Tool to Improve Antimicrobial Therapy Protocols. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071143. [PMID: 37048399 PMCID: PMC10093194 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Mastitis is a major cause of antimicrobial treatments either during lactation or at drying off. From a One Health perspective, there should be a balance between the risk of IMI that may impair cow health and welfare and the reduction of antimicrobial usage to decrease antimicrobial resistance, as may happen when applying selective dry-cow therapy. This reduction may be achieved by an early and accurate diagnosis followed by prudent and rationale therapeutical protocols. This study aims to assess the accuracy of PLCC (neutrophils + lymphocyte count/mL) in identifying cows at risk of having IMI due to major pathogens (S.aureus, Str.agalactiae, Str.uberis, and Str.dysgalactiae), and to simulate the impact of this early diagnosis on the potential number of treatments using a decision-tree model. The results of this study showed that PLCC had an overall accuracy of 77.6%. The results of the decision-tree model based on data from the 12 participating herds, with an overall prevalence of major pathogens of 1.5%, showed a potential decrease in the number of treatments of about 30% (from 3.4% to 2.5%) when PLCC in early lactation (days 5-16) was used to identify cows at risk for major pathogens compared with using SCC at the first milk test (days 17-43). The study confirmed that it is possible to improve animal health and reduce the risk of antimicrobial use through early IMI detection based on PLCC and applying a rationale and prudent antimicrobial protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Zecconi
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Zaghen
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriele Meroni
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Valerio Sora
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Piera Anna Martino
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Laterza
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Lucio Zanini
- Associazione Regionale Allevatori Lombardia, Via Kennedy 30, 26013 Crema, Italy
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Neculai-Valeanu AS, Ariton AM. Udder Health Monitoring for Prevention of Bovine Mastitis and Improvement of Milk Quality. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:608. [PMID: 36354519 PMCID: PMC9687184 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9110608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To maximize milk production, efficiency, and profits, modern dairy cows are genetically selected and bred to produce more and more milk and are fed copious quantities of high-energy feed to support ever-increasing milk volumes. As demands for increased milk yield and milking efficiency continue to rise to provide for the growing world population, more significant stress is placed on the dairy cow's productive capacity. In this climate, which is becoming increasingly hotter, millions of people depend on the capacity of cattle to respond to new environments and to cope with temperature shocks as well as additional stress factors such as solar radiation, animal crowding, insect pests, and poor ventilation, which are often associated with an increased risk of mastitis, resulting in lower milk quality and reduced production. This article reviews the impact of heat stress on milk production and quality and emphasizes the importance of udder health monitoring, with a focus on the use of emergent methods for monitoring udder health, such as infrared thermography, biosensors, and lab-on-chip devices, which may promote animal health and welfare, as well as the quality and safety of dairy products, without hindering the technological flow, while providing significant benefits to farmers, manufacturers, and consumers.
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Meroni G, Sora VM, Martino PA, Sbernini A, Laterza G, Zaghen F, Soggiu A, Zecconi A. Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Streptococcus agalactiae Sequences from a Public Database in a One Health Perspective. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11091236. [PMID: 36140016 PMCID: PMC9495180 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae is a well-known pathogen in humans and food-producing animals. Therefore, this bacterium is a paradigmatic example of a pathogen to be controlled by a One Health approach. Indeed, the zoonotic and reverse-zoonotic potential of the bacteria, the prevalence of Group B Streptococci (GBS) diseases in both human and animal domains, and the threatening global situation on GBS antibiotic resistance make these bacteria an important target for control programs. An epidemiological analysis using a public database containing sequences of S. agalactiae from all over the world was conducted to evaluate the frequency and evolution of antibiotic resistance genes in those isolates. The database we considered (NCBI pathogen detection isolate browser—NPDIB) is maintained on a voluntary basis. Therefore, it does not follow strict epidemiological criteria. However, it may be considered representative of the bacterial population related to human diseases. The results showed that the number of reported sequences increased largely in the last four years, and about 50% are of European origin. The frequency data and the cluster analysis showed that the AMR genes increased in frequency in recent years and suggest the importance of verifying the application of prudent protocols for antimicrobials in areas with an increasing frequency of GBS infections both in human and veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Meroni
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-342-8262125
| | - Valerio M. Sora
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Community Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Celoria 22, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Piera Anna Martino
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Sbernini
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Laterza
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Zaghen
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Soggiu
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alfonso Zecconi
- One Health Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Via Pascal 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
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