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Molecular typing of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitic milk on the basis of toxin genes and coagulase gene polymorphisms.

Katsuda K, Hata E, Kobayashi H, Kohmoto M, Kawashima K, Tsunemitsu H, Eguchi M

Environmental Hygiene Section, Shichinohe Research Unit, National Institute of Animal Health, 31 Uminai, Shichinohe, Kamikita, Aomori 039-2586, Japan. katsuda@affrc.go.jp

A total of 270 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from mastitic milk, were investigated by the polymerase chain reaction for the presence of genes encoding enterotoxins (sea to sej) and a toxic shock syndrome toxin (tst). One hundred eighty three (67.8%) bovine isolates possessed either one or more toxin genes and the most common pattern that coexisted in S. aureus was tst, sec, seg, and sei. Coagulase genotyping revealed 15 patterns, and 161 of the 270 isolates (59.6%) belonged to the coagulase genotype B1. Further, these 161 isolates possessed at least two enterotoxin genes. However, the role of these toxins in udder pathogenicity remains unclear. Moreover, the predominant isolate possessed the enterotoxin genes supporting the theory that superantigenic toxins are important for the udder pathogenesis.

Published 14 February 2005 in Vet Microbiol, 105(3): 301-5.
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