Abstract
The clinical, epidemiological and pathological aspects of protothecal mastitis in a Brazilian dairy herd are described. Prototheca zopfii infection was diagnosed in 11 of 121 milking cows. Clinical mastitis refractory to usual therapy was observed in 7 cows. Several environmental conditions conducive to the growth of Prototheca spp., such as wetness, muddiness and the presence of organic material, were present in the dairy. Improper milking practices and insanitary infusion of the intramammary antibiotics were also observed. Six cows with protothecal mastitis were slaughtered and the affected quarters of each cow were examined by histology and immunohistochemical staining for bovine keratin and P. zopfii. The histological lesions were characterized by interstitial infiltrates of macrophages, plasma cells and lymphocytes; algae were seen in the alveolar lumen and interstitium. The lack of a positive reaction with an antiserum against bovine keratin in the mammary alveolar epithelial layer in some affected areas suggests destruction of milk-producing tissues, which may be related to the low milk production observed. The algal organisms stained positively with a polyclonal antibody against P. zopfii.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Anderson, K.L. and Walker, R.L., 1988. Sources of Prototheca spp. in a dairy herd environment. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 193, 553-556
Bodenhoff, J. and Madsen, P.S., 1978. Bovine protothecosis. A brief report of ten cases. Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica B, 86, 51-52
Brito, M.A.V.P. and Veiga, V.M.O., 1997. Clinical bovine mastitis caused by Prototheca zopfii: a case study. Ciência Rural, 27, 681-684
Cheville, N.F., 1994. Algae, fungi and other eukaryotes. In: N.F. Cheville (ed.), Ultrastructural Pathology: An Introduction to Interpretation, (Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA), 761-787
Cheville, N.F., McDonald, J. and Richard, J., 1984. Ultrastructure of Prototheca zopfii in bovine granulomatous mastitis. Veterinary Pathology, 21, 341-348
Costa, E.O., Ribeiro, A.R., Watanabe, E.T. and Melville, P.A., 1998. Infectious bovine mastitis caused by environmental organisms. Journal of Veterinary Medicine B, Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Public Health, 45, 65-71
Costa, E.O., Ribeiro, A.R., Watanabe, E.T., Garino, J.R., Silva, J.A.B. and Junqueira, L., 1999. Controle de surto de mastite por Prototheca spp. em uma propriedade leiteira. In: Proceedings of the III Encontro de pesquisadores em mastites, São Paulo, Brazil, 145
Dion, W.M., 1979. Bovine mastitis due to Prototheca zopfii. Canadian Veterinary Journal, 20, 221-222
Filippsen, L.F., Moreira, F.B., Sakashita, A.T. and Bittencourt, D.R., 1999. Prevalência da mastite bovina causada por Prototheca zopfii em rebanhos leiteiros na região do norte do Paraná. Ciência Rural, 29, 87-89
Frank, N., Ferguson, L.C., Cross, R.F. and Redman, D.R., 1969. Prototheca, a cause of bovine mastitis. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 30, 1785-1794
Hodges, R.T., Holland, J.T.S., Neilson, F.J.A. and Wallace, N.M., 1985. Prototheca zopfii mastitis in a herd of dairy cows. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 33, 108-111
Janosi, S., Ratz, F., Lauko, T., Szigeti, G., Kerenyi, J., Tenk, M., Katona, F., Kulscar, M. and Huszenicza, G., 2000. Prototheca zopfii mastitis in cattle: first diagnosis in Hungary. Magyar Allatorvosok Lapja, 122, 7-14
Jensen, H.E., Aalbaek, B., Bloch, B. and Huda, A., 1998. Bovine mammary protothecosis due to Prototheca zopfii. Medical Mycology, 36, 89-95
Linquist, W.E., 1982. Prototheca mastitis: a case report. Proceedings of the National Mastitis Council, 161-163
Mills, B., 1992. Immunohistochemistry. In: E.B. Prophet, B. Mills, J.B. Arrington and L.H. Sobin (eds), Laboratory Methods in Histochemistry, (Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington DC), 247-256
McDonald, J.S., Richard, J.L. and Cheville, N.F., 1984. Natural and experimental bovine intramammary infection with Prototheca zopfii. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 45, 592-595
Philpot, W.N. and Nickerson, S.C., 1991. Mastitis: Counter Attack, (Babson Bros, Chicago, IL)
Pore, R.S., 1973. Selective medium for the isolation of Prototheca. Applied Microbiology, 26, 648-649
Prophet, E.B., Mills, B., Arrington, J.B. and Sobin, L.H. (eds), 1992. Laboratory Methods in Histotechnology, (Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington DC)
Sears, P.M., 1986. Nocardial mastitis in cattle: diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Journal of Continuing Education, 8, 41-46
Sudman, M.S., 1974. Protothecosis: a critical review. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 61, 10-19
Vargas, A.C., Lazzari, A., Santurio, J.M., Alves, S.H., Ferreira, G. and Kreutz, L.C., 1998. Isolation of Prototheca zopfii from a case of bovine mastitis in Brazil. Mycopatologia, 142, 135-137
Wager, L.A., 1982. Mycoplasma and Prototheca: refractory mastitis on the increase. Proceedings of the National Mastitis Council, 156-160
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Corbellini, L., Driemeier, D., Cruz, C. et al. Bovine Mastitis due to Prototheca zopfii: Clinical, Epidemiological and Pathological Aspects in a Brazilian Dairy Herd. Tropical Animal Health and Production 33, 463–470 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012724412085
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012724412085