Publication Database

Identification of bacteria at the umbilicus of newborn calves and in case of umbilical infections and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents commonly used (2025)

Art

Poster

Autoren

Meier, Kim Kristin (WE 18)

Lübke-Becker, Antina (WE 7)

Merle, Roswitha (WE 16)

Müller, Kerstin Elisabeth (WE 18)

Schwarz, Stefan (WE 7)

Fulde, Marcus (WE 7)

Brombach, Julian (WE 7)

Feßler, Andrea T (WE 7)

Ahrens, Tanja (WE 7)

Stock, Annegret (WE 18)

Kongress

10th Symposium on Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and the Environment (ARAE)

Berlin, 30.06. – 02.07.2025

Quelle

Abstract booklet : 10th Symposium on Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and the Environment (ARAE)

— S. 81–82

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://arae2025.de/fileadmin/media/arae/2025/docs/ARAE_2025_Abstract_booklet.pdf

Kontakt

Nutztierklinik

Königsweg 65
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62261
klauentierklinik@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Background and objectives: Umbilical infections (UIs) are one of the most common diseases in neonatal calves, initiated around birth by environmental, fecal, skin und mucosal bacteria. Bacteria colonizing the umbilical cord after birth and those involved in UIs were tested for their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents widely used.
Methods: Five dairy farms in Brandenburg (Germany) were visited for twelve consecutive weeks, between September 2022 and April 2024. Information regarding the substance used for navel care treatment and the treatment strategy of UIs were gathered. All calves between 1 and 28 days were clinically examined on a weekly basis including the examination of the umbilicus for signs of inflammation (enlargement, heat, tough consistency, pain, discharge). Calves suffering from an UI that were accessible for sampling (e.g., discharge, fistula) or calves born during the farm visits were sampled using swabs. After bacterial cultivation, species identification was carried out using MALDI-TOF MS. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by broth microdilution was performed according to CLSI standards for Escherichia coli, Trueperella pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Klebsiella spp..
Results: In 106 samples from calves with UIs and 47 samples from newborn calves, more than 100 different bacteria were identified with significant differences between both groups. T. pyogenes, S. aureus, S. uberis and S. dysgalactiae, as well as anaerobic bacteria, were almost exclusively isolated from UI samples. More than two-thirds of all S. aureus isolates investigated were methicillin-resistant. Streptococcus spp. and T. pyogenes showed high susceptibility to antibiotics commonly administered in UI cases (penicillin/benzylpenicillin). Moreover, all pathogens tested were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Low susceptibilities to tetracycline, however, were found for all pathogens tested, except for Klebsiella spp.. Calves with UIs from farms using chlortetracycline-spray for navel care showed significantly higher MICs for most antimicrobial agents tested compared to farms using iodine. E. coli isolated from calves with UIs had significantly higher MICs for nearly all tested antimicrobial agents compared to E. coli from newborn calves without UIs.
Conclusions: Besides the diversity of bacterial species isolated from UIs, a change of the bacterial spectrum and a decrease in their susceptibility in UI cases compared to pathogens from newborn calves could be demonstrated. Furthermore, the risk of a possible promotion of antimicrobial resistance induced using chlortetracycline-spray for navel care could be shown.