Ecology of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Various Sites on Dairy Farms

¹ Field Disease Investigation Unit, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
² Department of Veterinary Micropathology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-7040

The purposes of this study were to identify sources of Staphylococcus aureus on dairies and to determine whether S. aureus colonization of heifer body sites increases the risk of S. aureus IMI at parturition. In herds with high (>10%) or low (<3%) prevalence of S. aureus IMI, S. aureus was isolated from heifer teat skin, heifer external orifices, housing, feedstuffs, humans, nonbovine animals, air, and equipment. Additionally, in herds with high prevalence, S. aureus was isolated from bedding, insects,6 and water. The predominant sources of S. aureus for both groups were other IMI and heifer body sites. Heifers with prepartum lacteal secretions with S. aureus were at greater risk of S. aureus IMI at parturition than were prepartum heifers with lacteal secretions that were negative for S. aureus. Heifers with teat skin colonized by S. aureus were 3.34 times more likely to have S. aureus IMI at parturition than were noncolonized heifers. Overall, 35% of 700 heifers were colonized with S. aureus on a body site at least once. Although colonizations of most body sites appeared to be transient, a few heifers were colonized on the same site for 1 yr. Persistently colonized heifers may represent the primary reservoirs of S. aureus for other heifers.

Key Words: colonization • heifer • mastitis • Staphylococcus aureus

Submitted on November 29, 1993
Accepted on May 23, 1994

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Hata, K. Katsuda, H. Kobayashi, K. Nishimori, I. Uchida, M. Higashide, E. Ishikawa, T. Sasaki, and M. Eguchi Bacteriological Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Humans and Bulk Milk J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2008; 91(2): 564 - 569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. W. R. Compton, C. Heuer, K. Parker, and S. McDougall Epidemiology of Mastitis in Pasture-Grazed Peripartum Dairy Heifers and Its Effects on Productivity J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2007; 90(9): 4157 - 4170. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Smith, L. E. Green, G. F. Medley, H. E. Bird, and C. G. Dowson Multilocus Sequence Typing of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from High-Somatic-Cell-Count Cows and the Environment of an Organic Dairy Farm in the United Kingdom J. Clin. Microbiol., September 1, 2005; 43(9): 4731 - 4736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Smith, L. E. Green, G. F. Medley, H. E. Bird, L. K. Fox, Y. H. Schukken, J. V. Kruze, A. J. Bradley, R. N. Zadoks, and C. G. Dowson Multilocus Sequence Typing of Intercontinental Bovine Staphylococcus aureus Isolates J. Clin. Microbiol., September 1, 2005; 43(9): 4737 - 4743. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. J. Young, J. A. Woolliams, J. L. Williams, E. J. Glass, R. G. O'Neill, and J. L. Fitzpatrick In Vitro Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Proliferation in a Crossbred Cattle Population J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2005; 88(7): 2643 - 2651. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. H. Lee Methicillin (Oxacillin)-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Major Food Animals and Their Potential Transmission to Humans Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 1, 2003; 69(11): 6489 - 6494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. N. Zadoks, W. B. van Leeuwen, D. Kreft, L. K. Fox, H. W. Barkema, Y. H. Schukken, and A. van Belkum Comparison of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Bovine and Human Skin, Milking Equipment, and Bovine Milk by Phage Typing, Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis, and Binary Typing J. Clin. Microbiol., November 1, 2002; 40(11): 3894 - 3902. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Zadoks, W. van Leeuwen, H. Barkema, O. Sampimon, H. Verbrugh, Y. H. Schukken, and A. van Belkum Application of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and Binary Typing as Tools in Veterinary Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiologic Analysis of Bovine and Human Staphylococcus aureus Isolates J. Clin. Microbiol., May 1, 2000; 38(5): 1931 - 1939. [Abstract] [Full Text]