Evaluation of Staphylococcus simulans inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus infection by an in vivo murine mastitis model

• Published in: Applied and environmental microbiology p. e0067825
• Main Authors: Caddey, Benjamin, Li, Mengyue, De Buck, Jeroen, Han, Bo, Gao, Jian, Barkema, Herman W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 04.08.2025
• Subjects: Food Microbiology; Host-Microbial Interactions; cattle; bacteriocin; bovine mastitis; coagulase-negative staphylococci
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/aem.00678-25

Bovine mastitis is a leading economic concern for dairy production globally, representing the largest reason for antimicrobial use in dairy cattle. Non- aureus staphylococci (NAS) are among the most frequently isolated bacteria from mild, sometimes self-limiting, intramammary infections in cattle and may be associated with a lower risk of infection by major clinical mastitis pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus . This study investigated the inhibition of S. aureus mastitis by two NAS strains using an in vivo mouse mastitis model. This study demonstrated that when mammary glands are colonized by either one of these NAS strains, the ability of S. aureus to establish within the mouse mammary glands is reduced. These results demonstrate the long-term potential for NAS strains to become an alternative prophylactic treatment for bovine mastitis and support efforts to reduce antimicrobial dependencies in food production.