Milking time hygiene is a critical control point in the preventing the spread of contagious mastitis pathogens. Among milking time hygiene procedures is having milkers wear disposal gloves during milking to prevent colonization of milkers hands with contagious mastitis pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. While gloves are being employed on many farms and likely decrease colonization of milkers' hands with mastitis pathogens, the glove itself is generally not changed between cows and can thus represent a potential fomite for transmission of contagious pathogens between cattle. In addition, the environment inside the disposable glove, especially during hot humid seasons, likely represents an environment conducive to bacterial proliferation on thesurface of the skin. The objective of this study was to compare five milker hand hygiene protocols to determine their effect on bacterial colonization of milkers' hands during milking.
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