Outbreak of subclinical mastitis in a flock of dairy goats associated with atypical Staphylococcus haemolyticus

Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a pathogen frequently isolated from dairy cows and small ruminants. However, it always appears in only a few animals and not as a major pathogen. Recently, in a dairy goat herd of approximately 250 milking animals, 25·6% (46/180 goats) had milk cultures with atypical h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of dairy research 2009-02, Vol.76 (1), p.1-5
Main Authors: Leitner, Gabriel, Sela, Shlom, Hammer-Muntz, Orly, Zivotofsky, Doni, Weisblit, Limor, Chaffer, Marcelo, Zamir, Shmuel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal diseases
Animal productions
Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
bacterial infections
Biological and medical sciences
coagulase negative staphylococci
dairy animals
Disease Outbreaks
Female
Food industries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
goat
Goat Diseases - epidemiology
Goat Diseases - microbiology
Goats
Israel - epidemiology
mastitis
Mastitis - epidemiology
Mastitis - microbiology
Mastitis - veterinary
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Milk - cytology
Milk - microbiology
Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams
pathogen identification
Phenotype
somatic cell count
species differences
Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology
Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology
Staphylococcal Infections - veterinary
Staphylococcus haemolyticus
Staphylococcus haemolyticus - classification
Staphylococcus haemolyticus - drug effects
Staphylococcus haemolyticus - genetics
Staphylococcus haemolyticus - physiology
Terrestrial animal productions
Vertebrates
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Summary:Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a pathogen frequently isolated from dairy cows and small ruminants. However, it always appears in only a few animals and not as a major pathogen. Recently, in a dairy goat herd of approximately 250 milking animals, 25·6% (46/180 goats) had milk cultures with atypical highly mucoid colonies accompanied by elevated somatic cell counts. The isolates were identified as Staph. haemolyticus. The present study describes the steps used in an attempt to identify the bacterium and to compare it with other coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) including Staph. haemolyticus. Species identification performed with the API STAPH-IDENT 32 kit showed >99·4% identity confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing tests. Microscopically the atypical Staph. haemolyticus strains showed unique cuboidal tetrad clusters reminiscent of those of the genus Sarcina. The outbreak caused by an atypical CNS underlines the need for accurate biochemical and genetic methods for ultimate identification of CNS to the species level.
ISSN:0022-0299
1469-7629
DOI:10.1017/S0022029908003646