Efficacy of an Iodine Backflush for Preventing New Intramammary Infections

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Abstract
Efficacy of an iodine backflush system for reducing new intramammary infection was tested in two 11-wk trials. Cows (40) in each trial were paired by breed, age, stage of lactation and intramammary infection status. Each pair was assigned randomly either to a group milked with clusters that were reverse flushed with water, 25 ppm I, water and air or to a group milked with clusters receiving no backflush treatment between cows. Backflusing clusters reduced infections caused by Corynebacterium bovis and coagulase-positive staphylococci in both trials. However, backflushing clusters produced no clear advantage for reducing new infections with coagulase-negative staphylococci, Gram-negative bacilli or streptococci (species other than Streptococcus agalactiae). No differences in somatic cell counts between experimental groups were observed. Teat cup liners and teat ends were swabbed after 120 and 1200 milkings/liner. Total microbial counts were significantly greater for liners that were not backflushed than from backflushed liners at each swabbing. However, no differences were significant between groups for mean teat end microbial counts in either trial.