What are the types of mastitis in dairy cows?

Answer 1

There are two types of mastitis:

Contagious Mastitis (can be passed from cow to cow by the milking machine): Brucella melitensis, Crynebacterium bovis, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Strep. agalatiae are the common bacteria of contagious mastitis.

Environmental Mastitis (mastitis caught by bacteria in the environment): Coliform, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella.

Answer 2

Mastitis in the udder of a cow (dairy or beef) can be caused by the following:

• Bruising on the udder from too much running or from being stepped on by another cow
• Unsanitary environment, enabling bacteria to enter the teat canal into the mammary gland tissue of the udder
• Wound on the udder or in the teat canal
• Bacterial infection from another source of infection that has spread to the mammary glands

Udders that are very swollen with milk are more prone to injury than udders that are empty or not as swollen with milk. This is true and something to watch for when drying off dairy cows, or when weaning beef cows that tend to produce high quantities of milk from their calves. Typically cows that are more "milky," like dairy cows, are more susceptible to mastitis than those that are not high milk producers.