Prevalence of Staphylococcus species during the periparturient period in primiparous and multiparous cows

• Published in: Journal of dairy science 1992-07, Vol.75 (7), p.1835-1839
• Main Authors: Matthews, K. R, Harmon, R. J, Langlois, B. E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; bovine mastitis; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Cattle; dairy cows; Female; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genisse; glande mammaire; glandulas mamarias; heifers; lactacion; lactation; Lactation Disorders - epidemiology; Lactation Disorders - microbiology; Lactation Disorders - veterinary; lactation number; mammary glands; Mammary Glands, Animal - microbiology; mammite bovine; mastitis bovina; Mastitis, Bovine - epidemiology; Mastitis, Bovine - microbiology; novilla; numero de lactacion; numero de lactation; Parity; parto; parturition; pathogenese; pathogenesis; patogenesis; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - microbiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - veterinary; Prevalence; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - veterinary; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus - isolation & purification; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; vacas lecheras; vache laitiere
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)77942-9

During a 14-mo period, 77 multiparous parous and 36 primiparous cows were sampled to determine the prevalence of staphylococci during the periparturient period. Distal streak canal swabs were taken at 14 d prepartum, and foremilk was sampled the first 5 consecutive wk of lactation. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 7.6% of quarters of primiparous cows but from only.6% of quarters of multiparous cows at parturition. Prevalence in primiparous cows declined to 3.5% by the wk-1 sampling. Quarter prevalence of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species prepartum, at parturition, and wk 1 to 5 in primiparous cows was 38.9, 27.8, 15.3, 14.6, 13.2, 15.3, and 14.6%, respectively, In multiparous cows, prevalence at these times was 50.3, 12.3, 6.2, 8.1, 10.7, 7.1, and 8.1%. Staphylococcus chromogenes was the predominant species isolated, accounting for over 50% of the staphylococci isolated at each sampling time. Results suggest that high prevalence of staphylococci isolated prepartum is a reflection of natural skin flora and that a higher postpartum prevalence of these organisms was observed in primiparous cows than in multiparous cows. These data suggest also that the peripartum heifer could be a source of Staphylococcus aureus in the lactating herd.