Abstract
Acute
and chronic forms of mastitis are the costliest disease in the dairy
industry. Resistance of microbial pathogens to antimicrobials approved
for clinical use is a significant threat to controlling mastitic
pathogens and is a public health issue. In some countries, the cost of
antimicrobial drugs reduces their usage, and ethnic remedies are being
used. Organic dairies have prioritized the maintenance of mammary health
and the use of nutraceuticals to prevent and treat mastitis. In some
jurisdictions, dairy animals on organic farms that receive antibiotics
are disqualified for life as dairy animals. There is conflicting
evidence on the efficacy of nutraceuticals, homeopathy, and traditional
medicine in treating mastitis and a lack of standards for evaluation of
these remedies. Studies are showing that nutraceuticals can be
efficacious. Phytotherapeutics generally are complex chemical mixtures
and can be multifaceted in mechanisms of action. Intramammary infusions
of probiotics and bacteriocins are being shown to be efficacious, and
their mechanisms of action include being an immune stimulant.
Immunotherapy with antibodies and immune system components can be
efficacious. Intermingled treatments with nutraceuticals and
pharmaceuticals can be more efficacious than either treatment alone.
