MASTITIS OF THE COW 



Summary 

 Ports of infection. 



A. Infection through openings in the udder. 



1. Natural openings : the teat canal. 



The milk as a natural culture medium for bac- 

 teria. 

 The causes of sterility of milk in the udder. 



A. Physical nature. 



The end opening of the teat canal. 

 The direction of the milk canals. 

 The milk stream. 



B. Biological nature : the leucocytes. 



The predisposing factors for infection through 

 the teat canal are: 

 AA. Physical nature. 



Arrest of milk secretion. 

 Relaxed musculature. 

 Infection with milk tubes and 

 other foreign bodies. 

 BB. Biological nature: virulent infec- 

 tious organisms. 

 Prophylaxis. 



Milking time. 

 Cleanliness. 



Isolation of animals with contagious 

 mastitis. 



2. Artificial openings: udder wounds. 



Defence of wounds against infection: the cell 



wall, the inflammation. 

 Predisposing factors to infection of the wound. 

 Blood infiltration and necrosis. 



B. Infection by the blood stream. 



Hypothesis : blood-infection. 

 Causes of blood-infection. 

 Infection of the udder-blood. 

 Occurs, 



In the most strongly exposed parts of the udder, 



formation of metastatic nodules. 



