Association of Staphylococcus aureus genotypes with milk or colonization of extramammary sites in Dutch dairy cattle indicates strain variation in reservoirs for intramammary infections

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major mastitis pathogen with a detrimental impact on udder health in dairy cattle. Although S. aureus is generally classified as a contagious mastitis pathogen, control measures aimed at preventing contagious transmission are not always effective. Previous studies showed that various extramammary sites can be colonized with S. aureus and could be a reservoir for S. aureus intramammary infections (IMI). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of S. aureus extramammary site colonization in Dutch dairy cattle and to compare the spa genotypes of... Mehr ...