Fighting Mastitis.........An Udder Success

Mastitis is a disease of the mammary gland caused by pathogens that find their way into the lumen of the gland through the teat canal. Mastitis is a very efficient disease as it is able to transfer from cow to cow. As antibiotics are only effective in 15% of mastitis cases, scientists have had to develop a new method of fighting this disease. A solution to this antibiotic resistance includes, transgenic cows that produce milk containing an antimicrobial protein called lysostaphin. 30% of all mastitis cases are caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
As milk is used for human consumption and many products are made from it, ongoing research has had to be taken into account. Overall lysostaphin in milk does not appear to be a major concern to human or cow’s health, but is a sensitive issue.

Researchers have found that approximately 71% of cows that were non-transgenic became infected by Staphylococcus aureus, whereas only 14% of transgenic cows became infected. From this research it would soon become relevant to use transgenic cows as they would save money, time and resources. This genetic breakthrough will have a major benefit on the dairy industry, not only on a national scale but on a global scale.

Primary Resource:
Wall, R.J., Powell, A.M., Paape, M.J., Kerr, D.E., Bannerman, D.D., Pursel, V.G., Wells, K.D., Talbot, N. and Hawk, H.W., 2005. ‘Genetically enhanced cows resist intramammary Staphylococcus aureus infection’, Nature Biotechnology 23, pg 445-451.
http://www.nature.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/nbt/journal/v23/n4/full/nbt1078.html

Donovan, D.M., Kerr, D.E., Wall, R.J., 2005. ‘Engineering disease resistant cattle’, Department of Animal Science, University of Vermont, Burlington

http://www.springerlink.com/content/u1m28j7732815g68/fulltext.pdf
Bliss R.M., 2005. Transgenic Cows Resist Mastitis-Causing Bacteria, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/pr/2005/050404.htm
Rainard, P., 2005. Transgenic cows expressing an antibacterial endopeptidase in their mammary glands show enhanced resistance to mastitis, Nature Biotechnology 23, pg 430- 432
http://www.nature.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/nbt/journal/v23/n4/full/nbt0405-430.html
Written by: Callan Cribb