New research indicates cloth towels used on dairy cows can
contribute to udder infections.
Sandra Godden, a professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, says they found two categories of mastitis-causing pathogens on cloths used to prepare udders for milking.
“So if we had increased levels of either staph or strep species on the cloth udder towels, there was an increased risk for infection in quarters in commercial dairy herds with those specific bacteria.”
She tells Brownfield they concluded hot air drying and
off-site laundering can help reduce bacteria counts.
