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Project to tackle bovine mastitis and reduce AMR
Bovine mastitis poses a huge problem to the farming industry.

Researchers to analyse milk samples using mass spectrometry.

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast are working to develop a new, rapid test for bovine mastitis that could also help in the battle against antibiotic resistance.

The project will utilise mass spectrometry to develop a rapid diagnosis of mastitis from a suspected milk sample. Initially, this will require laboratory equipment, but researchers hope it could eventually be developed into an on-site test to enable faster detection of the condition.

Bovine mastitis poses a major challenge to the farming industry owing to its impact on cattle health and welfare, the difficulties in controlling the condition and the need to withhold milk from human consumption during treatment and recovery. 

Currently, dairy farmers visually check for the condition during the milking process - looking for changes such as the formation of clots and any heat or swelling of the udder. The monitoring of 'somatic cell counts' is also used to screen for the disease, but samples need to be sent away for culture and sensitivity tests, which can take several days. 

To minimise the pain and suffering of the cow, broad-spectrum antibiotics are often administered before the samples are sent off. But researchers say this therapeutic use of antibiotics could be contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. 

In this project, scientists at Queen's will use REIMS technology (Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry) to analyse milk samples. Not only would this method be more user-friendly for farmers, but it could also deliver near-instant results and reduce – if not eliminate - the need for broad-spectrum antibiotics. 

Dr Simon Cameron from the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s said the REIMS project could have a positive impact on agriculture, the agrifood industry and society as a whole. 

“REIMS is a fairly new technology and we are constantly finding new applications for it. It has the potential to be a step-change in how we use mass spectrometry to address problems facing society and this project investigates just one of these," he said.

“By being able to analyse samples more quickly, and in a way that is more user-friendly to the farmer, we hope to be able to bring the benefit of mass spectrometry to dairy farmers through rapid diagnosis of bovine mastitis and identification of the causal microbe.”

Interestingly, this same project will explore lameness in dairy cattle, of which current diagnosis also involves visual observation. Reseacrhers will conduct a longitudinal study on a dairy herd to assess a naturally occurring molecule or gene, using REIMS to identify potential ‘biomarkers’ that could flag up a proclivity towards lameness.


The project is being carried out in partnership with AgriSearch and the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI). 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.