Isolation of Prototheca spp. from cows with mastitis, bulk tanks milk and in the environment of the animals/ Isolamento de Prototheca spp. de vacas com mastite, de leite de tanques de expansão e do ambiente dos animais

The dairy cattle mammary gland infections cause serious economic losses to dairy farmers due to the decrease in milk production, therapeutic procedures and culling of chronic infected animals. High incidence of mastitis in herds also alters both the composition and the quality of the milk. Mastitis pathogens can also cause infections and poisoning in humans. In the last years, emphasis has been given to intramammary infections caused by the genus Prototheca which, besides their zoonotic characteristics, are considered mastitis pathogens of persistent infection and are refractory to traditional therapeutic procedures. The objective of this work was the isolation and identification of Prototheca spp. from milk samples collected from bulk tanks and milk cans, cows presenting mastitis and the dairy herd environment. Milk samples were collected from 81 bulk tanks and milk cans of 81 dairy herds. Prototheca zopfii was identified in milk samples in 10 dairy herds. From these, eight dairy herds were studied regarding Prototheca spp. mastitis and environmental occurrence as well as the main mastitis bacterial agents. Bacteria, algae and yeasts were isolated from 324 milk samples from 197 cows. P. zopfii was isolated in three dairy herds from eleven milk samples from five cows with clinical and subclinical mastitis. In these dairy herds with positive isolation of P. zopfii the agent was isolated from the herd environment, excrements of the calves and teat cup rubbers. The results of this work demonstrate the importance of isolation in bulk tanks as an indicative of Prototheca spp. presence in dairy herds.As infecções da glândula mamária de vacas leiteiras acarretam sérios prejuízos ao produtor pela diminuição da produção leiteira, tratamento e descarte de animais com infecções crônicas. Elevada incidência de mastite no rebanho também altera a composição e qualidade do leite. Agentes de mastite podem causar infecções ou intoxicações no homem. Nos últimos anos tem-se dado ênfase às infecções intramamárias por algas do gênero Prototheca, agentes de infecções persistentes e refratárias à terapêutica tradicional além do caráter zoonótico. Este trabalho teve como objetivo o isolamento e identificação de Prototheca spp. De amostras de leite coletadas em tanques de expansão e latões, de vacas com mastite e do ambiente dos animais. Foram coletadas 81 amostras de leite de tanques e latões de 81 propriedades. Prototheca zopfii foi identificada em amostras de tanques de 10 prop