13TSB_ACT: Evaluation of MALDI-TOF-MS to differentiate sub species of the pathogen S uberis to provide an improved approach to mastitis control

牛乳腺炎是一种乳房炎症性疾病，是全球奶牛业可持续发展的主要障碍。牛乳腺炎对健康、福利、经济和环境的影响是严重的。这是农场死亡和过早扑杀的最常见原因。临床乳腺炎的发病率为60/100头奶牛/年，仅在英国每年就有超过100万头奶牛受到影响。乳腺炎治疗和控制占奶牛抗生素使用总量的30%以上。在英国，每年损失超过1.7亿英镑；占疾病直接总成本的38%。因此，乳腺炎大大降低了奶牛养殖的效率，乳腺炎动物扑杀率的增加对环境和国家和国际粮食安全的推动产生了不利影响，而在牛身上使用抗生素也可能传播对影响人类健康的细菌的耐药性。乳腺炎是由细菌感染引起的；细菌通过乳头管进入乳腺。乳腺炎控制的核心前提是通过减少细菌病原体进入乳房的传播来最大限度地降低感染风险。为了控制乳腺炎，有必要了解细菌感染发生的方式和时间以及病原体如何引起感染。虽然只有少数几种细菌通常会引起牛乳腺炎，但现在认识到这些细菌的亚种（菌株）在疾病传播和结果方面表现不同。本研究的目的是根据最常见的乳腺炎病原体uberis的疾病传播特征，建立一种区分菌株的方法。为此，将使用现代的高通量质谱法（基质辅助激光解吸电离/飞行时间质谱法- MALDI-TOF-MS）来区分S uberis菌株。这些菌株将根据它们如何引起乳腺炎和疾病的结果进行分组。这些信息将用于乳腺炎控制规划，其中包括减少在农场使用抗生素。如果成功，他的研究将为奶牛乳腺炎控制提供一种新的改进方法。这将有利于奶农（降低疾病成本）、兽医和顾问（提高乳腺炎控制建议的能力）、乳制品行业（通过减少乳腺炎提高可持续性、福利和形象）和消费者（改善奶牛福利和食品安全）。

Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the udder and is a major barrier to the sustainability of dairy farmingworldwide. The health, welfare, economic and environmental impacts of bovine mastitis are severe. It is the most commoncause of on-farm death and premature culling. With an incidence rate of clinical mastitis of 60/100 cows/year more thanone million cows are affected per annum in the UK alone. Mastitis treatment and control accounts for over 30% of allantibiotic use in dairy cattle. Annual losses exceed £170M in the UK; 38% of the total direct costs of disease. Thereforemastitis substantially reduces the efficiency of dairy farming and an increased rate of culling of mastitic animals adverselyaffects the environment and the drive towards national and international food security, while antibiotic use in cattle mayalso spread resistance to bacteria that impact on human health.Mastitis is caused by a bacterial infection; the bacteria enter the mammary gland via the teat canal. The central premise ofmastitis control is to minimise the risk of infection by reducing transmission of bacterial pathogens into the udder. In orderto control mastitis, it is necessary to understand how and when bacterial infections occur and how the pathogens cause aninfection. Although only a few species of bacteria commonly cause bovine mastitis, it is now recognised that sub species(strains) of these bacteria behave in different ways in terms of disease transmission and outcome. The aim of this researchis to develop a method to differentiate strains of the most common mastitis pathogen, S uberis, according to their diseasetransmission characteristics. To do this, a modern, high throughput method of mass spectrometry (matrix-assisted laserdesorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry - MALDI-TOF-MS) will be used to differentiate strains of S uberis.These strains will be grouped according to how they cause mastitis and the outcome of disease. This information will thenbe used to inform mastitis control programmes which will include reduced use of antibiotics on farm.If successful, his research will pride a new and improved approach to mastitis control in dairy cows. This would be to thebenefit of dairy farmers (reduced disease costs), veterinary surgeons and advisors (improved ability to advise on mastitiscontrol), the dairy industry (improved sustainability, welfare and image by reducing mastitis) and consumers (improved cowwelfare and food security).