Study the prevalence of S. aureus in subclinical mastitis and their antibiogram in buffaloes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate sub-clinical mastitis in dairy farm and prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus with its antibiogram pattern. A total of 80 buffaloes (320 quarters) were investigated for sub-clinical mastitis. Samples positive for sub-clinical mastitis were subjected for isolation and biochemical characterization. Isolates that was confirmed as S. aureus were subjected for antibiotic-susceptibility testing. The overall quarter wise incidence of sub clinical mastitis among 80 buffaloes was 2.4 per cent (90 quarters out of 320 quarters). After biochemical characterization, S. aureus was confirmed in 90 samples. Antibiotic resistance pattern revealed that the highest resistance to the antimicrobials used was to observed in ampicillin (75.00%), followed by chloramphenicol (72.50%), cefotaxime (62.50%), levofloxacin (55.00%) gentamicin (55.00%), cepholexin (50.00%), ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin (45.00%), penicillin G (40.00%), and tetracycline (42.50 %). This study confirms the importance of S. aureus as a major mastitis causing bacterium and existence of alarming level of resistance to frequently used antibiotic by S. aureus and a potential risk for human health from nearly possible transmission of the S. aureus strains as milk borne pathogen.