Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in dairy sheep

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 106; no. 3; pp. 235 - 239
• Main Authors: Vautor, E., Abadie, G., Guibert, J.-M., Chevalier, N., Pépin, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 10.04.2005; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: Air Microbiology; Animals; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier State; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Carrier State - veterinary; Cheese; Cheese - microbiology; DNA, Bacterial; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Epidemiology; Ewe's nares; Female; France; France - epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Genotyping; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Microbiology and Parasitology; Miscellaneous; Nose; Nose - microbiology; Prevalence; Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE); Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Sheep Diseases - epidemiology; Sheep Diseases - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - veterinary; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - classification; Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; France; Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE); Genotyping; Ewe's nares; Epidemiology; Staphylococcus aureus; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Microbiology; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Sheep; Micrococcaceae; Artiodactyla; Veterinary; Ungulata; Bacterial; Prevalence; Pulsed-Field; Air Microbiology; Sheep Diseases; Genotype; Cheese; Gel; Genetic Variation; Staphylococcal Infections; Animals; Nose; DNA; Electrophoresis; Female; France; Carrier State
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2004.11.019

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage of dairy sheep in farms producing cheeses manufactured with raw ewe's milk. The study showed that 29% of ewes carried S. aureus in their nares. The genetic diversity of the 136 isolates recovered from the anterior nares of the ewes, from the ambient air of the milking parlour and from cheeses was investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of DNA SmaI digests. The genotyping results showed that 75 out of 106 isolates recovered from nasal carriage in dairy sheep belonged to a dominant pattern (previously named OV) and a genetically related pattern (named OV′). The same profile (OV or OV′) was found in the ambient air and cheeses, suggesting a continuum between isolates within these different compartments.