Serratia liquefaciens as a cause of mastitis in dairy cows
Nicholls, T.J.; Barton, M.G.; Anderson, B.P.
Veterinary Record 109(13): 288
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 7336531 Document Number: 169327
Five cases of mild, clinical mastitis occurred in a 120-cow Friesian herd in northern Victoria in January and February 1980. Serratia (Enterobacter) liquefaciens was isolated from the milk of these cows and also from further subclinical cases identified by sampling milk from the entire herd. All cases responded to intramammary infusion of neomycin. The bacteria were toxic for mice. Inoculation into one quarter of each of two cows, free from subclinical mastitis, resulted in a fall in milk yield and development of mastitis in the inoculated quarters; uninoculated quarters remained free from infection. The bacterium was recovered from the inoculated quarters, but not from an enlarged supramammary lymph node.