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Study of Staphylococcus aureus collected at slaughter from dairy cows with chronic mastitis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2012

Renata Piccinini*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Hygiene and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
Riccardo Tassi
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Hygiene and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
Valentina Daprà
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Hygiene and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
Rachel Pilla
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Hygiene and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
Jackie Fenner
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK Technology Transfer Unit, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
Ben Carter
Affiliation:
Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Gwenfro Unit 5, Wrexham Technology Park, Wrexham LL17 7YP, UK
Muna F. Anjum
Affiliation:
Department of Bacteriology, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK Technology Transfer Unit, Veterinary Laboratories Agency-Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: renata.piccinini@unimi.it

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens associated with bovine mastitis. Recent studies have shown that Staph. aureus strains may differ in virulence, and in their ability to disseminate across commercial dairy herds. The goal of this study was to determine whether Staph. aureus isolates differed in their ability to colonize mammary tissue, and whether such differences could be related to molecular characteristics. Quarter milk and mammary tissues of 22 cows from two dairy herds, were collected at slaughter and bacteriological analysis was performed. All Staph. aureus isolates were characterized by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and microarray. Overall 45 mammary quarters were infected and 20 Staph. aureus isolates were identified. The bacteria were mostly recovered from both milk and tissue of the same quarter in significantly higher numbers from herd A cows compared with herd B. Molecular characterization of the isolates showed distinct PFGE profiles for isolates from each herd. Differences in virulence factors between herds A and B isolates were evidenced The genes for enterotoxin D, J and R were present in herd A, those for G, I, N, M, O and U were shown in herd B, whilst both components of the leukocidin lukD/E genes were only carried by herd A isolates. Furthermore, all herd A isolates showed β-haemolysin activity, which was absent in all but one isolate from herd B. Therefore our data indicate that Staph. aureus isolates showing differences in their ability to disseminate and colonize across quarters, also have significantly different virulence characteristics.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2012

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