Field Observations on the Variation of Streptococcus uberis Populations in a Pasture-Based Dairy Farm

Microbiological and molecular tools were used to monitor Streptococcus uberis populations on farm tracks and paddocks on a dairy farm during different seasons of a year to identify and profile potential environmental niches of Strep. uberis in a pasture-based dairying system. Farm tracks of high or...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of dairy science 2007-12, Vol.90 (12), p.5558-5566
Main Authors: Lopez-Benavides, M.G., Williamson, J.H., Pullinger, G.D., Lacy-Hulbert, S.J., Cursons, R.T., Leigh, J.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal productions
Animals
Bacterial Typing Techniques - veterinary
Biological and medical sciences
Cattle
Cattle Diseases - epidemiology
Cattle Diseases - etiology
Colony Count, Microbial - veterinary
dairy cows
dairy farming
Dairying - methods
environment
Environmental Microbiology
Female
Food industries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genotype
mastitis
microbial detection
Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams
multilocus sequence typing
on-farm research
pastures
Phylogeny
Poaceae - microbiology
Risk Factors
seasonal variation
Seasons
strain differences
strains
Streptococcal Infections - epidemiology
Streptococcal Infections - etiology
Streptococcal Infections - veterinary
Streptococcus - classification
Streptococcus - genetics
Streptococcus - isolation & purification
Streptococcus uberis
Terrestrial animal productions
Vertebrates
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Microbiological and molecular tools were used to monitor Streptococcus uberis populations on farm tracks and paddocks on a dairy farm during different seasons of a year to identify and profile potential environmental niches of Strep. uberis in a pasture-based dairying system. Farm tracks of high or low cow traffic were sampled every 2 wk for an entire year and Strep. uberis numbers were enumerated from a selective medium. During each season of the year, paddocks were sampled for the presence of Strep. uberis before and after grazing by dairy cows. Farm tracks of high cow traffic generally had greater concentrations of Strep. uberis isolated compared with tracks with less cow traffic, but there was also significant variation in the concentrations of Strep. uberis contamination among seasons, being highest in winter and lowest in summer. The bacterium was detected in paddocks only after cow grazing had occurred, but the bacteria could still be detected in soil for up to 2 wk following grazing in winter. Multilocus sequence typing showed great heterogeneity, with some commonality between farm track and milk isolates, which may help explain cow-to-environment or environment-to-cow transmission of the bacterium in the dairy setting.
ISSN:0022-0302
1525-3198
DOI:10.3168/jds.2007-0194