Production of exfoliative toxin A by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cow's milk and farm bulk milk.
The production of exfoliative toxins A and B (ETA and ETB) by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cow's milk and farm bulk milk was examined by the reverse passive latex agglutination method (RPLA). ETA was detected in 2 (1.2%) of 162 isolates from mastitic cow's milk and in 1 (0.6%) of 166 isolates from farm bulk milk. RPLA titers of these isolates were much lower than in human isolates. No ETB was detected in any of the isolates tested. These ETA-positive isolates belonged to bovine ecovar. They were non-typable using the international phage set for human strains. When these ETA-positive isolates were subcutaneously inoculated into neonatal mice, general exfoliation of the epidermis accompanied by the so-called Nikolsky sign was not recognized. By the immunoblotting and PCR methods, however, ETA and eta gene were recognized in the ETA-positive isolates from mastitic cow's milk and farm bulk milk. These data suggest that ETA is also produced by bovine isolates of S. aureus, but in smaller quantities.
Hayakawa
Y
Y
Hokubu Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Ishikawa, Japan.
Hayashi
M
M
Shimano
T
T
Komae
H
H
Takeuchi
K
K
Endou
M
M
Igarashi
H
H
Hashimoto
N
N
Takeuchi
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000662:veterinary; D005083:Exfoliatins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
D005083:Exfoliatins