Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium naturally occurring in the environment – in water, soil, faeces, on the skin and mucous membranes. From here it can get into the udder e. g. during application of intramammary products at drying off if the process is not performed properly. This mastitis occurs relatively rarely but it can be fatal in its acute form.

Clinical signs develop suddenly – oedema of the mammary gland, pain, fever but also decreased body temperature and overall signs related to toxaemia (overall poisoning of the organism). 

The mammary gland secretion is serous, bluish, later bloody or chocolate, malodorous.

Severe cases may be fatal. The disease can also develop into a chronic form with intermittent acute outbreak. In chronic or subclinical cases, it is not always possible to detect the agent in milk. If the diagnosis is prompt and correct, then there is a certain chance to cure the cow; that is why it is necessary to cultivate and test the antibiotic susceptibility as quickly as possible. It is not possible to differentiate Pseudomonas mastitis from enterobacterial (E. coli, Klebsiella sp. etc.) mastitis just based on the clinical course.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a high level of natural resistance to antibiotics that’s why testing without delay is essential. 

To prevent the disease, high hygiene standards and aseptic conditions during intramammary applications are necessary.

At the ClearMilk test, Pseudomonas aeruginosa grows in the sector for gram-negative rods (it is a gram-negative rod) in larger white (but also yellowish or green) flat colonies. Some strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but not all, produce pigments; that is why coloured colonies can also rarely be seen besides the white ones. 

In the case of Pseudomonas infection, confirmation with the MALDI TOF or another bacteriological method and especially swift sensitivity testing is very appropriate! All tests can be performed in our laboratory.