In response to talks about the possible implementation of regulated sulfa testing in milk and IDEXX’s dedication to the dairy industry, we have developed a new SNAP® test to detect sulfamethazine in milk. This new test kit is designed to detect sulfamethazine residues in raw, commingled bovine milk at or below 10 ppb.

How is sulfamethazine used?
Sulfamethazine is commonly used to treat diseases such as parasitic disease of the intestinal tract (coccidiosis), pneumonia, bacterial scours (colibacillosis), shipping fever (respiratory disease complex) and foot rot (pododermatitis). Sulfamethazine has also been approved for the treatment of bovine mastitis in nonlactating dairy cows by the FDA, as well as the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Using sulfamethazine as a treatment has been proven highly effective against these types of disease-causing organisms. These ailments can spread easily between animals, so it is vital to treat upon recognition of a problem before an entire herd becomes infected.

Is sulfamethazine approved for use on lactating dairy cows?
While treatments containing sulfamethazine as an active ingredient have been approved for the treatment of bovine mastitis in nonlactating dairy cows, to date there are no approved treatments for lactating dairy cows. Although sulfamethazine is not an approved treatment for lactating dairy cows, it does show up in the milk supply, as indicated in The National Milk Drug Residue Database for Fiscal Year 2005 Annual Report.

Why test for sulfamethazine?
While sulfamethazine does remain a viable and effective treatment option for nonlactating cows, there are studies that indicate it is a potential carcinogen linked specifically to thyroid cancer.¹

It takes only one cow treated with sulfamethazine to contaminate the pooled milk of up to 70,000 other animals.² If a farmer uses sulfamethazine as a treatment, it is necessary to test to keep the public milk supply safe. Not only is testing important for public safety, but if the contamination were linked back to a specific farm, that farm would potentially face great loss to both profit and reputation.

The IDEXX SNAP Sulfamethazine Test is a fast, accurate and simple way to detect sulfamethazine in milk. The benefits of testing are reassuring and economical—compare the cost of a SNAP test with the potential cost of bearing the responsibility of supplying sulfamethazine-tainted milk to the public. SNAP makes it easy to be sure.