Clinical mastitis in a dairy cow caused by Prototheca zopfii in Ceará state, Brazil

Abstract

We report a case of clinical mastitis caused by Prototheca zopfii (unicellular algae) in the municipality of Iguatu, Ceará. A Holstein cow weighted 500 kg and was 4 years old, with dairy milk production of 18 liters, and was created under intensive system. The main clinical signs observed in the front right quarter, with drop in milk production and presence of flocks in the wired cup test. Two samples of milk were collected from the animals and sent to Laboratório de Microbiologia Veterinária at UFERSA. The samples were streaked on Sabouraud agar and incubated under aerobic conditions for 48 hours at 37 º C. After 72 hours the colonies had presented a diameter varying between 3 and 6 mm and irregular edges with central elevation. An antibiogram was also performed, and revealed resistance to all antibiotics tested: getamicin (10mg), chloramphenicol (30 mg), ceftriaxone (30 mg), cefoxitin (30 mg), vancomycin (30 mg), polymyxin (300mg), novobicin (30mg), streptomycin (10mg) and cephalothin (30mg). Keywords: Bovine mastitis, Prototheca, algae, antibiogram.