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Why choose Mastatest?
Mastatest is an easy-to-use mastitis diagnostic tool that helps you make informed mastitis management decisions.By automating the diagnostic process, the Mastatest system removes all the hassle of analysing milk. There is no need for transport, results are sent directly to your inbox within 24 hours.Mastatest gives you all the information you need to make confident decisions for every cow. The results tell you whether or not bacteria are present, what species of bacteria are present and what their sensitivities are to the antibiotics tested.With these comprehensive results provided for every cow tested, you can identify cows that don't need antibiotic treatment and improve cure rates for those that do by targeting treatment. This reduces the time cows spend out of the herd and the amount of milk discarded. Historical data on individual cows and the herd as a whole also allows more informed decisions to be made about herd management.
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How does Mastatest work?
Mastatest uses electronic eye technology to automatically detect colour changes caused by bacterial species present in the milk sample.All you have to do is collect a milk sample, fill in a cassette and run the test. The analyser does the rest.The data collected by the analyser is automatically analysed and interpreted by an algorithm on a cloud, and the results are sent to your inbox within 24 hours, as well as being accessible via a web platform dedicated to storing them.
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What information does an analysis result provide?
For tests carried out on a clinical cassette, you will receive information concerning :-The presence (or absence) of bacteria-The bacterial species present. The species identified are Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus spp, Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus nonaureus) in the case of Gram-positive bacteria ; E coli/coliform bacteria and Klebsiella/Serratia in the case of Gram-negative bacteria.-An evaluation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of three key antibiotics: benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin and cefalexin in the case of sensitivity and results show resistance if no antibiotic has an inhibitory effect on bacterial growth.
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What are the prerequisites for carrying out an analysis with Mastatest?
All you need to operate the Mastatest system is :-A WiFi or ethernet connection (at least - 65dBm signal strength - indicated on the display)-A standard power supply-A fridge for cassette storage-Initial set-up takes just a few minutes, thanks to the simple instructions supplied with the Lapbox™.Vetoquinol will walk you through the process and get you ready to process your first samples with an installation and IT support manager.
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Do I need training to use the Mastatest system?
In terms of running a test, it is so simple that anyone can do it, regardless of qualification or training.In terms of interpreting the results, this has to be done by the vet in order to recommend the appropriate treatment.However, we recommend that any staff taking a milk sample should be trained in this procedure.
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How do I run an analysis?
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There are two ways of launching an analysis.The essential step, whichever method you use, is as follows: Use the platform to create the customer account (operation) to which the analysis will be linked.First method: Launch a test from the analyser1) Go to the Mastatest menu.2) Go to Launch Mastatest.3) Select the desired location.4) Enter the information relating to the cow (cow number and quarter).5) Confirm the information and start the test.6) Insert the cassette filled with your milk sample in the location you selected earlier.7) Access the platform and run the test at the location concerned, assigning the sample to a farm.Second method: Run a test from the platform1) Access the Mastatest menu from the analyser.2) Select Webstart (this will launch the test without personalising the number of the cow and the quarter from which the milk sample is taken).3) Insert the cassette filled with your milk sample in the location you selected earlier.4) Access the platform.5) Run a test at the location in question by entering the information about the cow (cow number and quarter) and assigning the analysis to a farm.N.B.: For both methods, you can either use the analyser first or the platform.There may be a delay of around 10 minutes (or even 15 minutes, depending on the quality of your Internet connection) between launching the analysis on the platform or the analyser and the algorithm that is supposed to interpret the results taking it into account.
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How can I obtain the results of a test?
There are two easy ways to access Mastatest results.By email: You will receive Mastatest results in your email inbox. You can add multiple email addresses to the system, so that everyone involved in the decision-making process receives a copy.Mastatest web interface: You and your team can access Mastatest results directly in the data console, using the website. The Data Console contains your herd's historical results, allowing you to review previous results for each cow before making mastitis management decisions.
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How long does it take to get the results?
The Mastatest system provides digital results back to your inbox within 24 hours of starting a Lapbox™ test.
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Can Mastatest be used for cows suffering from clinical mastitis?
Yes, Mastatest can be used to test samples from cows with clinical mastitis.Use the clinical cassette for clinical mastitis. After taking a milk sample from the affected cow, simply fill the cassette, place it in the analyser and run the test.In less than 24 hours, you'll have information on whether or not bacteria are present in the sample, their type: E. coli, Klebsiella, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus species, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus non-aureus) and other Gram-positive bacteria, and the sensitivity of the bacteria to different antibiotics.The selection of antibiotics will include: benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin and cefalexin.By systematically testing cows with clinical mastitis, you ensure you have all the information you need to inform your mastitis management. Ultimately, this should lead to improved cure rates, reduced time away from the herd for affected cows and improved milk productivity.
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If the Internet goes down, will synchronisation still take place? How long does it take to lose the analysis?
There is no synchronisation but the test cycle should continue to download images once internet connectivity is working again. If 2 or 3 hours are missing, this is usually not a problem, unless it is the last 4 hours of the test cycle.It also depends on when the cycle is interrupted. If the analysis has sent an initial image and the last two images, it will be possible to evaluate the test. However, if the interruption occurs, for example, in the last 12 hours, a notification is sent indicating that more images are required before the test can be evaluated. Instructions are provided to the end customer.
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Is it safe not to put the cow on antibiotics while waiting for the test results?
Studies have shown that waiting 24 hours to confirm the presence (and species) of bacteria in a milk sample before treating with antibiotics is an appropriate course of action for most cows with mild to moderate mastitis.Up to 25% of cows may have mastitis with no bacterial cause, which should heal without further treatment. Mastatest can identify these cows for you.Up to 25% of cows with gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli in the milk do not require antibiotic treatment.In the case of a cow that has severe mastitis and is seriously ill, antibiotic treatment should be started immediately and can be adapted once bacteriology results are received.
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How many lapboxes do I need for my farm?
The number of analysers you need will depend on the mastitis rate on the farm, and therefore the number of samples you are likely to take in a 24-hour window.Each Lapbox can process up to four samples at a time, i.e. 365x4 = 1460 samples per year.A simple rule of thumb is that a Lapbox should be able to analyse milk samples from a herd of around 1500 cows.
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What does n/a mean in terms of antibiogram results?
Antibiotic susceptibility test results are likely to show "n/a" in the following cases:- the sample taken is sterile- the sample contains two or more germs (in the case of polycontamination, for example).The display "n/a" simply means that the antibiogram results cannot be used.In the case of a sterile sample, the 3 molecules (benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin and cefalexin) will have no effect as no germ has been detected in the milk sample used for the bacteriological analysis.As the analyser cannot quantify one bacterial population in the majority compared with another, the potential effects of the 3 different antibiotics cannot be assigned to one of the two bacteria in the case of a sample containing two germs. The same applies to a polycontaminated sample containing 3 or more germs.