Methicillin resistant staphylococci associated with bovine mastitis and their zoonotic importance

Mastitis is the most common infectious disease among dairy cattle and has been singled out as the most significant cause of economical loss in the dairy industry. Control of mastitis is important because milk may harbor organisms potentially pathogenic to humans [1]. Staphylococci are the bacteria most commonly isolated from subclinical mastitis [2]. However, during recent years, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) have become the most common bovine mastitis isolates in many countries and are regarded as emerging mastitis pathogens [3]. The indiscriminate treatment with antibiotics, without either a technical prescription or identification of the pathogen, can contribute to an increased resistance of these organisms, making the cure of mastitis still more difficult. More than 80% of strains