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Molecular and bacteriological investigation of subclinical mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae in domestic bovids from Ismailia, Egypt

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Abstract

A study was carried out to establish the prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SCM) in smallholder dairy farms in Ismailia, Egypt. A total of 340 milking cows and buffaloes were sampled from 60 farms, and 50 nasal swabs were collected from consenting farm workers. Milk samples were subjected to California mastitis test (CMT) and the positive samples were examined by bacterial culture and PCR to identify etiological agents. Based on CMT, the prevalence of SCM was 71.6 % in cattle and 43.5 % in buffaloes while the prevalence was 25.2 % at cow-quarter level and 21.7 % at buffaloes-quarter level. Bacteriological analysis showed that the most frequently identified bacteria were Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (38.3 %) and Streptococcus (Str.) agalactiae (20 %). The diagnostic sensitivity of PCR compared to bacterial culture was superior with S. aureus and Str. agalactiae detection being 41 and 22.6 %, respectively. Furthermore, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains occurred in 52.2 and 45 % of isolates of animals and workers, respectively. Subclinical mastitis due to S. aureus and Str. agalactiae is endemic in smallholder dairy herds in Ismailia. The occurrence of MRSA in animals and workers highlights a need for wide epidemiological studies of MRSA and adopting control strategies.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Mohammad Nagi Elsheery, head of the Department of Animal Medicine, for his support and constructive advice. We wish to thank Dr. Armanda D. S. Bastos, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa, for her advice on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt

    Mahmoud Mohey Elhaig

  2. Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, P.O. Box 13736, Toukh, Egypt

    Abdelfattah Selim

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  1. Mahmoud Mohey Elhaig
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  2. Abdelfattah Selim
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Correspondence to Mahmoud Mohey Elhaig.

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Elhaig, M.M., Selim, A. Molecular and bacteriological investigation of subclinical mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae in domestic bovids from Ismailia, Egypt. Trop Anim Health Prod 47, 271–276 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0715-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0715-1

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