What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to examine the prevalence, bacterial causes, and antimicrobial resistance patterns in mastitis among dairy cows.

February 12, 2026Antibiotics1 citationsOpen Access

Retrospective Study of Bacteriological Patterns and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Mastitis in the Banat Region of Romania

CSCaius StoichescuUnivesity of Life Science "King Mihai I" from Timisoara JDJanos DegiUnivesity of Life Science "King Mihai I" from Timisoara EDEugenia Dumitrescu

Key Points

The aim is to examine the prevalence, bacterial causes, and antimicrobial resistance patterns in mastitis among dairy cows.
Conducted a retrospective analysis on 420 dairy cows from five localities.
Diagnosed mastitis through clinical examination and bacteriological culture.
Assessed antimicrobial susceptibility with the VITEK® 2 system.
28.6% of cows were diagnosed with mastitis.
Major pathogens included Staphylococcus aureus (33.3%) and Streptococcus agalactiae (22.5%).
70% of infections were monomicrobial, commonly affecting one under quarter.
Widespread beta-lactam resistance found, especially against penicillin and ampicillin.
33.3% of isolates were multidrug-resistant, with all Gram-negative isolates showing MDR.

Abstract

Background: Bovine mastitis is a leading cause of economic loss in dairy farming and is increasingly complicated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing challenges to treatment and public health. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, bacterial etiology, and AMR patterns of mastitis pathogens in dairy herds from the Banat region of Romania. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 420 dairy cows from five localities. Mastitis diagnosis involved clinical examination, indirect tests (California Mastitis Test (CMT), R-Mastitest), and bacteriological culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed using the VITEK® 2 system. Results: Out of 420 cows, 120 (28.6%) were diagnosed with mastitis. The predominant pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (33.3%) and Streptococcus agalactiae (22.5%). Most infections were monomicrobial (70%) and affected a single under quarter (77.5%). Beta-lactam resistance was widespread among both Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates, particularly against penicillin and ampicillin. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were identified in 33.3% of all isolates, with 100% of Gram-negative isolates exhibiting MDR profiles. Conclusions: The high prevalence of S. aureus and S. agalactiae, along with widespread beta-lactam resistance and frequent MDR phenotypes, highlights the urgent need for routine AMR surveillance and targeted antimicrobial therapy in bovine mastitis control programs.

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