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Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus by Ribosomal Spacer PCR (RS-PCR)
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Prevalence of coagulase-positive staphylococci, other than Staphylococcus aureus, in bovine mastitis

J R Roberson1, L K Fox, D D Hancock

  • 1Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia Technological Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 24061-0442, USA.

American Journal of Veterinary Research
|January 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus can cause chronic intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cows, while Staphylococcus intermedius is not a significant mastitis pathogen. The tube coagulase test is unreliable for differentiating these coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS).

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Dairy Cattle Health
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cows are a significant concern for animal health and milk production.
  • Coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) are common causes of IMI, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most prevalent.
  • The roles of Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus intermedius in IMI require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence and relevance of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus intermedius in dairy cow IMI.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of the 4-hour tube coagulase (TC) test in differentiating CPS species.

Main Methods:

  • Prevalence of CPS was assessed in primiparous and multiparous cows across low prevalence (LP) and high prevalence (HP) herds.
  • Speciation of CPS isolates from milk samples was performed.
  • The 4-hour TC test was used to assess the ability of CPS isolates to coagulate rabbit plasma.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus comprised 82.1% of CPS isolates, followed by coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus (17.7%) and Staphylococcus intermedius (0.2%).
  • Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus was found in 34% of CPS IMI in LP herds and 9% in HP herds, persisting in some cows.
  • The TC test demonstrated high sensitivity (>97%) but low specificity (<33%) for identifying Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusions:

  • Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus is capable of causing chronic, low-grade IMI in dairy cows.
  • Staphylococcus intermedius does not appear to be a significant mastitis pathogen.
  • The 4-hour TC test is not a reliable standalone method for differentiating CPS species.
Abstract

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