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Antibiotics
Special Issues
Evidence in Antibiotic Mastitis Therapy
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Evidence in Antibiotic Mastitis Therapy

A Special Issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382) belonging to the section "Antibiotics in Animal Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 7007

Editors

Dr. Volker Krömker

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Mechanical and Bioprocess Engineering, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 30453 Hannover, Germany
Interests: animal science; mastitis; Staphylococcus aureus; bovine mastitis; antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paolo Moroni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 1, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Interests: bovine mastitis; risk factors; treatment; prevention; therapy worthiness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In dairy cows, around 70% of the antibiotic doses used treat mastitis. Despite extensive research, many questions regarding optimised antibiotic therapy remain unanswered. They concern fundamental aspects such as selecting cases to be treated with antibiotics and their identification under practical conditions, as well as questions about active substances, treatment durations, dose regimes and resistance. This Special Issue will compile new knowledge to help implement targeted and efficient therapy in practice, taking into account aspects of husbandry, the animals to be treated, and the microorganisms, as well as pharmacological aspects of therapy. We welcome contributions that will further develop antibiotic mastitis therapy.

Dr. Volker Krömker
Dr. Paolo Moroni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotic mastitis treatment
  • targeted
  • selective
  • pathogens
  • mastitis history
  • new infections

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 718 KB  
Article
Variety of Culturable Bacteria Associated with Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows, Based on the Simpson’s and Shannon–Wiener Diversity Indices
by Michael Farre and Lærke Boye Astrup
Antibiotics 2026, 15(7), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15070683 - 12 Jul 2026
Viewed by 441
Abstract
Background: Subclinical mastitis is a major challenge in dairy production, contributing to antimicrobial use, production losses, and persistent infection pressure while often remaining undetected due to the absence of clinical signs. Using somatic cell count (SCC) data to distinguish newly infected from chronically [...] Read more.
Background: Subclinical mastitis is a major challenge in dairy production, contributing to antimicrobial use, production losses, and persistent infection pressure while often remaining undetected due to the absence of clinical signs. Using somatic cell count (SCC) data to distinguish newly infected from chronically infected cows is epidemiologically important, yet little is known about how infection dynamics relate to bacterial diversity in these groups. The present study aimed (i) to quantify the herd-level association between newly and chronically subclinically infected cows based on SCC, and (ii) to compare the abundance distribution of culturable bacteria in these groups using ecological diversity indices. Methods: We combined longitudinal Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) data from 88 Danish dairy herds with quarter-level microbiological culture and MALDI-TOF MS identification from 1738 cows. Results: A strong positive herd-level correlation was observed between newly and chronically infected cows (Spearman’s r = 0.76, p < 0.001), indicating substantial shared variation without implying causality. Both Simpson (D) and Shannon–Wiener (H′) indices differed significantly between newly and chronically infected cows, demonstrating distinct bacterial abundance distributions. Non-aureus staphylococci dominated both groups, whereas Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis were markedly more prevalent in chronically infected cows. Conclusion: the findings show that newly and chronically subclinical mastitis represent distinct epidemiological and ecological states, underscoring the need to combine SCC data with species-specific diagnostics to support effective herd-level mastitis control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence in Antibiotic Mastitis Therapy)
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16 pages, 357 KB  
Article
Unsuitable Decisions and Persistent Infection: The Reality of Farmer and Veterinarian Mastitis Treatment Decisions in Denmark
by Luc Durel, Troels Volhøj, Fabienne Benoît and Michael Farre
Antibiotics 2026, 15(6), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15060570 - 3 Jun 2026
Viewed by 415
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Reducing antibiotic use in the dairy sector is a critical objective. This study aimed to assess whether Danish farmers were able to achieve this objective appropriately without affecting animal health. Methods: Participants chose from three options—antibiotics (ABs), no treatment (NO), [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Reducing antibiotic use in the dairy sector is a critical objective. This study aimed to assess whether Danish farmers were able to achieve this objective appropriately without affecting animal health. Methods: Participants chose from three options—antibiotics (ABs), no treatment (NO), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—and their decisions were compared against a laboratory-defined ‘gold standard’. Results: The results indicated that farmers’ professional judgment was unreliable; they frequently misallocated antibiotic treatments, often failing to treat cows that needed them while treating those that did not. Overall, producers administered significantly fewer antibiotics than laboratory results suggested were necessary. Although veterinarians achieved better results via in-clinic bacteriological examinations, their ability to identify specific bacterial species was insufficient. Consequently, cows remain at a significant risk of persistent infection following a clinical episode, regardless of the farmer’s chosen treatment. Conclusions: The study concludes that significant progress needs to be made both on farms and in veterinary clinics to ensure that the use of antibiotics is as little as possible, but as much as necessary. Until such reliability improves, unsuitable treatment will continue to compromise animal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence in Antibiotic Mastitis Therapy)
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14 pages, 581 KB  
Article
Etiological and Epidemiological Characteristics of Severe Mastitis and the Outcomes Treatment Following a Single Dose of Fluoroquinolones Administered During On-Farm Veterinary Interventions
by Olivier Salat, Philippe Pottié, Nolwenn Prigent, Catherine Lutz, Alicia Nurit, Vincent Herry, Arnaud Sartelet, Charly De Campos and Laurent Dravigney
Antibiotics 2026, 15(6), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15060538 - 25 May 2026
Viewed by 468
Abstract
Background/objectives: severe mastitis is one of the leading causes of mortality in dairy cows. Its primary complication is shock, predominantly associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which remains extremely challenging for practitioners to manage. The average mortality rate is estimated at approximately 25%. [...] Read more.
Background/objectives: severe mastitis is one of the leading causes of mortality in dairy cows. Its primary complication is shock, predominantly associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which remains extremely challenging for practitioners to manage. The average mortality rate is estimated at approximately 25%. Many authors recommend the use of fluoroquinolones for this indication. However, these antibiotics are classified as critically important for human health, and their use requires strict compliance with specific guidelines (bacteriological analysis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing). In addition, some practitioners remain reluctant to use this class of antibiotics in field conditions. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of systematic antibiotic therapy using fluoroquinolones in cases of severe mastitis and to identify factors that may influence treatment success. Methods: a total of 323 cows with severe mastitis were enrolled by eight participating veterinary clinics located across different regions of France. The study design included: (i) clinical scoring based on a standardized grid developed by practitioners routinely managing this condition, (ii) bacteriological analysis of milk samples (with antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed when Gram-negative bacteria were isolated), and (iii) post-treatment follow-up consisting of telephone interviews conducted at 5 and 15 days after inclusion. Cows presenting with a clinical score ≥3 (scale 0–36) in association with local signs of mastitis were classified as having severe mastitis and received an injection of 10 mg/kg marbofloxacin along with 2.2 mg/kg flunixin (unless another NSAID had been administered within the previous 24 h). When the clinical score was ≥6, cows additionally received intravenous fluid therapy consisting of 3 L of 7.2% NaCl, supplemented by oral drenching if spontaneous water intake was insufficient. Results: a total of 43 cows died or were euthanized during the study period, corresponding to a mortality rate of 13.3%. The mean clinical score at inclusion was 12.6. The clinical signs most strongly associated with mortality were decubitus and hypothermia at admission. Escherichia coli was isolated in 67.0% of severe mastitis cases, either as a single pathogen (82.9%) or in mixed infections (17.1%). Overall, Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, other Gram-negative organisms) were identified in 79.0% of cases. A total of 188 coliform isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. All isolates (100%) were susceptible to marbofloxacin, as were all tested Gram-negative strains, whereas only 79.9% of E. coli isolates were susceptible to sulfonamide/trimethoprim. Compared with previously published data, the observed mortality rate was lower despite the poor clinical condition of cows at admission. Conclusion: the timeliness of initiating effective antimicrobial therapy appears to be a critical determinant of survival in cows with severe mastitis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence in Antibiotic Mastitis Therapy)
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Review

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19 pages, 1127 KB  
Review
Antibiotic Treatment vs. Non-Antibiotic Treatment in Bovine Clinical Mastitis During Lactation with Mild and Moderate Severity
by Franziska Nankemann, Stefanie Leimbach, Julia Nitz, Anne Tellen, Nicole Wente, Yanchao Zhang, Doris Klocke, Isabel Krebs, Stephanie Müller, Sabrina Teich, Jensine Wilm, Pauline Katthöfer, Jan Kortstegge and Volker Krömker
Antibiotics 2025, 14(7), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14070702 - 12 Jul 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4930
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This review aimed to compare the efficacy of antibiotic treatment vs. non-antibiotic treatment in mild and moderate clinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows, categorized by the causative pathogen. Methods: The initial systematic review plan, which resulted in only four relevant articles, was [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This review aimed to compare the efficacy of antibiotic treatment vs. non-antibiotic treatment in mild and moderate clinical mastitis in lactating dairy cows, categorized by the causative pathogen. Methods: The initial systematic review plan, which resulted in only four relevant articles, was altered due to limited available studies and significant heterogeneity among them. Consequently, five additional articles, closely meeting our criteria with minor differences, were included to ensure comprehensive analysis, resulting in nine included articles. Due to these pragmatic constraints, this review represents a hybrid between a systematic and a narrative review. The outcome of interest was the bacteriological cure (BC). Results: The findings revealed that antibiotic treatment resulted in improved BC rates for cases caused by Streptococci. For cases caused by Escherichia (E.) coli, antibiotic therapy showed no significant improvement in BC rates compared to non-antibiotic treatment, suggesting that antibiotics may be often unnecessary for these cases due to self-limiting tendencies. However, severe E. coli mastitis warrants systemic antibiotic treatment due to potentially life-threatening complications. Klebsiella spp. mastitis showed better cure rates with antibiotic therapy. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of regular pathogen diagnostics to guide appropriate treatment, advocating for the use of on-farm rapid tests to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use while ensuring effective treatment outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence in Antibiotic Mastitis Therapy)
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