Mastitis occurs in numerous species.
Antimicrobial agents are used for treatment of infectious
mastitis in dairy cattle, other livestock, companion animals, and humans.
Mastitis is an economically important disease of dairy cattle and most
mastitis research has focused on epidemiology and control of
bovine mastitis.
Antibiotic treatment of clinical and subclinical
mastitis in dairy cattle is an established component of
mastitis control programs. Research on the treatment of clinical and subclinical
mastitis in other dairy species such as sheep and goats has been less frequent, although the general principles of
mastitis therapy in small ruminants are similar to those of dairy cattle. Research on treatment of clinical
mastitis in humans is limited and as for other species empirical treatment of
mastitis appears to be common. While antimicrobial susceptibility testing is recommended to direct treatment decisions in many clinical settings, the use of susceptibility testing for
antibiotic selection for
mastitis treatments of dairy cattle has been challenged in a number of publications. The principle objective of this review is to summarize the literature evaluating the question, "Does antimicrobial susceptibility predict treatment outcome for intramammary
infections caused by common bacterial pathogens?" This review also addresses current issues related to antimicrobial use and treatment decisions for
mastitis in dairy cattle. Information on treatment of
mastitis in other species, including humans, is included although research appears to be limited. Issues related to study design, gaps in current knowledge and opportunities for future research are identified for
bovine mastitis therapy.