E. coli, Klebsiella pnemoniae and Enterococcus spp: impact of virulence factors in bovine mastitis and public health concern

Abstract

Mastitis is a multifactorial disease caused by approximately 140 microorganisms, related to infectious or environmental origin, with varying degrees of infectivity. In addition to the economic losses of disease, both for producers and for the dairy industry by lower industrial output and lower shelf period of dairy products, the impact of these agents in the public health context, as many of the pathogens involved in its etiology is notorious zoonotic agents, toxins producers, enterotoxin and other virulence factors, causing serious infections and food poisoning outbreaks. Control programs are essential to reduce the incidence of mastitis including environmental origin, aiming to better quality of milk offered for consumption, and improve their production. There is much to study in search of information about the genotypic and phenotypic characterization of pathogens involved in intramammary infection and virulence factors, and research of its triggering genes, cytokine profile as virulence markers and multiple drug resistance of these pathogens. The present study aims to investigate cases of clinical mastitis caused by Escherichia coli, Klebisiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus spp., isolates from clinical samples and milk of bulk tanks in ten farms of high production in the state São Paulo and Minas Gerais, obtained every three months during the period of 18 months. It is expected to deepen the knowledge in cases of environmental mastitis caused by these pathogens, especially in the matters of virulence, multidrug resistance to antimicrobials and immunopathology, enabling strategies for prevention, control and consequences for public health. (AU)