Application of cold plasma therapy for managing subclinical mastitis in cows induced by Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of cold plasma therapy in managing subclinical mastitis in cows caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Escherichia coli. After detection of mastitis pathogens, 38 cows were selected for cold plasma therapy for five days. On the fifth day of treatment, the mastitis agents were re-examined and no causative agents were identified. An additional evaluation conducted 28 days later confirmed the absence of mastitis. Cow productivity, milk composition and quality indicators were assessed at the beginning of the experiment and 32 days from the start (28 days after treatment cessation). After the mastitis treatment, the somatic cell count decreased significantly by between 2.89 and 7.09 times, and the milk yield of the cows at the end of the experiment increased from 0.63 kg per day to 2.82 kg per day (P < 0.01). These results highlight the potential of this innovative approach for managing a prevalent disease that causes substantial losses in the dairy industry. Furthermore, they lay the groundwork for expanded research involving larger sample sizes.

Keywords

• Dairy cows
• Mastitis, therapy
• Cold plasma
• Milk
• Somatic cell count
• Ruminants