A longitudinal study investigating the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus genotype B in seasonally communal dairy herds.
Staphylococcus aureus is a major mastitis-causing pathogen. Various genotypes have been recently identified in Switzerland but Staph. aureus genotype B (GTB) was the only genotype associated with high within-herd prevalence. The risk of introducing this Staph. aureus genotype into a herd may be increased by frequent animal movements. This may also be the case when cows from different herds of origin are commingled and share their milking equipment for a limited period of time. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Staph. aureus GTB in seasonally communal dairy herds before and after a summer period when dairy farming is characterized by mixing cows from different herds of origin in 1 communal operation. In addition, the environment was investigated to identify potential Staph. aureus GTB reservoirs relevant for transmission of the disease. A total of 829 cows from 110 herds of origin in 9 communal operations were included in the study. Composite milk samples were collected from all cows during the first or second milking after arrival at the communal operation and again shortly before the end of the season. Swab samples from the environment, involved personnel, and herding dogs present were collected before the cows arrived. At the end of the season, sampling of personnel was repeated. All samples were analyzed for the presence of Staph. aureus GTB using an established quantitative PCR. At the beginning of the season, Staph. aureus GTB-positive cows were identified in 7 out of 9 communal operations and the within-communal operation prevalence ranged from 2.2 to 38.9%. At the second sampling, all communal operations were Staph. aureus GTB positive, showing within-communal operation prevalence from 1 to 72.1%. The between-herd of origin prevalence increased from 27.3 to 56.6% and the cow-level prevalence increased from 11.2% at the beginning of the season to 29.6% at the end of the season. On 3 different communal operations, Staph. aureus GTB-positive swabs from seasonally employed personnel were identified at the end of the season. The results indicate that Staph. aureus GTB can easily spread in communal operations when cows from different herds of origin are mixed during the summer season. Effective management measures need to be designed to prevent the spread of Staph. aureus GTB in seasonally communal herds.
Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
V
V
Voelk
Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station ALP, 3003 Berne, Switzerland.
H U
HU
Graber
Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, 3097 Liebefeld, Switzerland.
B H P
BH
van den Borne
Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
C
C
Sartori
Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
A
A
Steiner
Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, 3012 Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: michele.bodmer@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
M
M
Bodmer
Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
M C
MC
Haerdi-Landerer
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012621:Seasons; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
Staphylococcus aureus; biosecurity; communal herd; epidemiology