Efficacy of specific egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) to bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus

Vet Microbiol. 2009 Feb 2;133(4):317-22. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.07.016. Epub 2008 Aug 5.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate the efficacy of specific egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) to bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Eighteen lactating cows with clinical mastitis and 18 lactating cows with experimental mastitis (1 quarter per cow) were randomly assigned to three treatments: IgY (20mg/ml) infusion, penicillin (100mg/ml) infusion and no infusion. Treatments for clinical mastitis and experimental mastitis were performed by a 6-day course of intramammary infusion with a dosage of 10ml at an interval of 12h. Milk samples were collected at morning milking time for testing color, clot, somatic cell counts (SCC) and bacterial count. For most of the cows treated with IgY and penicillin, the milk color and clot recovered to normal form during the therapy course. The milk SCCs and bacterial counts of treated cows decreased compared to those of untreated cows (p<0.05). The cure rates by IgY for experimental and clinical mastitis were 83.3% and 50%, respectively, and those by penicillin were 66.7% and 33.3%, respectively. These results showed the potential of specific IgY to be an alternative therapy for mastitis caused by S. aureus.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Cattle
  • Female
  • Immunoglobulins / immunology*
  • Mastitis, Bovine / immunology*
  • Mastitis, Bovine / microbiology*
  • Milk / physiology
  • Penicillins / therapeutic use
  • Staphylococcal Infections / immunology
  • Staphylococcal Infections / veterinary*
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • IgY
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Penicillins