Thursday, 07 March 2024 10:55

Vaccine targets environmental mastitis

Written by Staff Reporters

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A vaccine, claiming to be the first specific product against the most common cause of environmental mastitis was launched last month.

A vaccine, claimed to be the first specific product against Streptococcus uberis, the most common cause of environmental mastitis in New Zealand, was launched here last month.

UBAC, developed by leading Spanish pharmaceutical manufacturer Hipra, is now available exclusively from Agilis Vet Ltd.

This follows a successful release in Europe in 2018 across 50 countries.

At the recent launch, Dr Marga Penelas, global product manager at HIPRA, spoke about the global increase in the incidence of mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis and the frustration caused by the lack of response to conventional treatments.

It is an exciting step towards reducing the need to treat mastitis with antibiotics and working towards maximising milk production, he said.

Agilis Vet general manager Ben Lee says those present at the launch showed their enthusiasm for the idea of having new tools for the control of this pathogen.

“They also understood that with the launch of UBAC and the consolidation of STARTVAC – a mastitis vaccine registered in NZ for Staphlococcus aureus – Agilis affirms its commitment to new tools for the control and prevention of mastitis in dairy cows.

“Furthermore, this product – like others in our portfolio – supports our determination to move animal health towards preventative care as good standard practice.”

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