COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF AN ANTIBIOTHERAPY AND A HONEY-BASED ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OF ACUTE SHEEP STAPHYLOCOCCAL MASTITIS IN ALGERIA

Abstract

This investigation aims to assess the efficiency of honey/starch in treatment of clinical mastitis in ewes and to compare it with a conventional treatment. Acute mastitis was induced in 60 healthy ewes by inoculating a reference strain of Staphylococcus aureus. Ewes were divided randomly into three groups and received one of the following treatments; Group 1 (n=20): honey/starch, Group 2 (n=20): amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, Group 3 "control" (n=20) which received no treatment. The assessment of treatment efficiency was realized based on clinical assessment: disappearance of mastitis clinical signs in the first 7 days, bacteriological assessment: negative bacteriological culture in the first 7 days, cellular assessment: negative California mastitis test in the 4 first weeks, zootechnical assessment: normal milk yield in the first 7 days. Udders treated with antibiotic had a complete clinical healing of 62.5% on day 4 and 100% on day 6 and day 7, a bacteriological healing of 100% on day 1 and until day 7, a cellular healing of 100% on week 3 and week 4, and a zootechnical healing of 77.5% on day 4 and 100% on day 6 and day 7. Udders treated with honey/starch had a complete clinical healing of 65% on day 3 and 95% on day 5 and until day 7, a bacteriological healing of 95% on day 1 and until day 7, no cellular healing on week 4, and a zootechnical healing of 75% on day 3 and 95% on day 5 and until day 7. The control group had no healing. By reconsidering the adverse effects of antibiotics, honey could be an interesting alternative to antibiotics for treating acute mastitis in sheep.