COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF A TEAT-DISINFECTANT APPLIED AS A FOAM OR AS A LIQUID DIP USING AN IN-VITRO TEST

摘要

An in vitro test was used to investigate the relative effieacies of a teat-disinfectant applied as either a foam or a liquid dip against a combination of three mastitis-causing bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus uberis). The test involved using strips of pig-skin (n=20) to imitate the skin surface of the udder. The strips were inoculated with bacterial cultures followed by treatment with water or the foamed test product or the liquid test product. Following astandard exposure time the numbers of surviving bacteria were estimated. The product was more effective at reducing bacterial counts when applied as a foam than as a dip against two of the three species investigated. Treatment with foam reduced S. uberis counts relative to treatment with disinfectant dip but not significantly differently. Overall, logarithmic bacterial counts following treatment with foam were approximately 50% lower than following treatment with the liquid dip.