This exposes the next cow that enters the calving area to potential risk. It is critical these areas be frequently cleaned and kept clean. C ontrolling environmental Strep mastitis problems involves several considerations. First is verifying, by sampling and culturing milk from clinical cases, that the dominant organism present is a Strep non-ag species. If this pattern is repeated in a number of clinical cases it is a strong indication this is the problem and the source has to be determined.
E xamine the milking routine.
Look for wet, dirty cows entering the parlor, too much water being used to clean cows, long hair on the udders, ineffective pre-milking teat sanitation program, wet cows being milked, frequent liner squawks and slips poor teat dipping practices resulting in poor coverage. Failure in any of these areas can lead to problems. R eview dry cow treatment products, housing conditions, freshening area cleanliness and calving area sanitation procedures between cows. R eview the diet of the dry cows especially being certain the levels of selenium and vitamin E are in line with current recommendations. These compounds are known to assist the body in fighting off infection so deficiencies may play a role in increased new infections.