Candida-Associated Mastitis in Goats: Clinical Recognition and the Potential Role of β-Glucan

Mastitis in goats can involve fungal pathogens, with Candida albicans identified as a frequent cause of mycotic mastitis in ruminants^1,2,3. For the practicing veterinarian, recognising the clinical changes associated with C. albicans infection and monitoring the response to treatment are important when managing affected animals. 

Mastitis involves inflammation of the mammary gland parenchyma and is associated with physical and chemical changes in milk as well as pathological changes within mammary tissue⁴. In experimentally induced C. albicans mastitis, β-glucan demonstrated antifungal and immunomodulatory effects, making it a potential therapeutic approach that warrants clinical consideration. 

Recognising the Clinical Changes 

The clinical picture can involve both milk abnormalities and changes in the udder. In the experimental infection, affected goats developed changes in milk colour, reduced milk output, positive California Mastitis Test (CMT) results, and enlargement of the supramammary lymph nodes. Mastitis was fully evident by day 3 following inoculation, with CMT scores reaching 3 in affected animals. C. albicans was also recovered from milk samples during the early stages of infection³. 

These findings highlight the value of combining udder examination, milk assessment and CMT when monitoring suspected mastitis. Milk samples can additionally be subjected to fungal culture to establish whether C. albicans remains detectable during treatment³. 

Persistent infection may have consequences beyond abnormal milk. The experimental findings described progressive fibrosis and reduction in udder size in untreated infected goats. Fibrous tissue deposition around mammary structures can impair vascularisation and contribute to gland atrophy and dysfunction³. 

What β-Glucan May Offer 

β-glucan is a polysaccharide found in fungi, yeast, algae, bacteria, and plants and has recognised biological properties, including antifungal and immunomodulatory activity^3,5,6,7. Previous observations have also described effects of β-1,3-glucan on leukocyte and macrophage responses within the mammary gland ³. 

In this experimental work, β-glucan was extracted from C. albicans and administered intramammarily at 5 mg/mL every 48 hours for three doses. Goats receiving β-glucan showed progressive clinical improvement, with negative CMT and fungal culture results by day 15. Milk returned to normal, and C. albicans was not isolated from milk samples collected after treatment. 

The response was also reflected in inflammatory markers. By day 10, serum IL-6 had decreased to 1110.69±53.84 pg/mL in the β-glucan group compared with 1858.04±54.07 pg/mL in the infected untreated group. IFN-γ similarly decreased to 78.16±1.22 pg/mL compared with 178.60±1.39 pg/mL in the infected group³. 

β-Glucan and Nystatin: A Combined Approach³ 

Nystatin was another treatment evaluated. The combination of β-glucan and Nystatin resulted in complete recovery and absence of C. albicans from milk by day 25. The findings suggest a possible complementary effect between the two agents, although the observed response should be interpreted within the experimental conditions used. 

Practical Clinical Insights 

For veterinarians managing suspected fungal mastitis in goats: 

• Assess udder appearance, milk characteristics and supramammary lymph nodes. 

• Use CMT as part of clinical monitoring. 

• Consider fungal culture when Candida infection is suspected. 

• Monitor treatment response through both clinical findings and microbiological results. 

• β-glucan showed promising therapeutic effects against experimentally induced C. albicans mastitis, but these findings should not be interpreted as establishing it as routine therapy. 

Overall, the findings indicate that intramammary β-glucan may have potential in managing C. albicans-associated mastitis, with both fungal clearance and reductions in inflammatory markers observed under the experimental conditions described. 

References 

1. Mahmoud SH, Yassein SN. The Effectiveness of β-glucan in the Treatment of Caprine Mastitis Induced by Candida albicans. The Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Medicine. 2024 Dec 28;48(2):81-7. https://www.jcovm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/Iraqijvm/article/download/1731/1657 

2. Jameel FA, Yassein SN. Virulence potential of Penicillium chrysogenum isolated from subclinical bovine mastitis. Iraqi Journal of Science. 2021 Jul 31:2131-42. https://ijs.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/eijs/article/download/2996/1518 

3. Mahmoud SH, Yassein SN. The Effectiveness of β-glucan in the Treatment of Caprine Mastitis Induced by Candida albicans. The Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Medicine. 2024 Dec 28;48(2):81-7. https://www.jcovm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/Iraqijvm/article/download/1731/1657 

4. Ezzat Alnakip M, Quintela-Baluja M, Böhme K, Fernández-No I, Caamaño-Antelo S, Calo-Mata P, Barros-Velázquez J. The immunology of mammary gland of dairy ruminants between healthy and inflammatory conditions. Journal of veterinary medicine. 2014;2014(1):659801. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1155/2014/659801 

5. Pengkumsri N, Sivamaruthi BS, Sirilun S, Peerajan S, Kesika P, Chaiyasut K, Chaiyasut C. Extraction of β-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Comparison of different extraction methods and in vivo assessment of immunomodulatory effect in mice. Food Science and Technology (Campinas). 2016 Jul 28;37(1):124-30. https://www.scielo.br/j/cta/a/zZwL6GYkwzFNCZCNNdxVnNf/?format=pdf&lang=en 

6. Walachowski S, Breyne K, Secher T, Cougoule C, Guzylack-Piriou L, Meyer E, Foucras G, Tabouret G. Oral supplementation with yeast β-glucans improves the resolution of Escherichia coli-associated inflammatory responses independently of monocyte/macrophage immune training. Frontiers in Immunology. 2022 Dec 20;13:1086413. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1086413/pdf 

7. Vetvicka V, Teplyakova TV, Shintyapina AB, Korolenko TA. Effects of medicinal fungi-derived β-glucan on tumor progression. Journal of Fungi. 2021 Mar 25;7(4):250. https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/4/250