Characterization and Enterotoxigenicity of Staphylococci Isolated from Mastitic Ovine Milk in Spain

Abstract

On the basis of glucose fermentation and lysostaphin sensitivity, 71 gram-positive, catalase-positive cocci, isolated from mastitic ovine milk in Spain, were classified as members of the genus Staphylococcus. Identification at the species level was accomplished by complete characterization of the staphylococcal strains. Fifty-nine of the isolates were classified as S. aureus, 1 as S. simulans, 5 as S. epidermidis, a as S. haemolyticus and 5 could not be classified as any accepted or newly proposed species. The number of strains lysed by phages of S. aureus of human and bovine origin was 8 and 40, respectively. The phage pattern most frequently found was 78 (34 strains). Fifty of the S. aureus strains belonged to biotype C. Forty-nine of the S. aureus strains and 2 of the unclassified ones produced enterotoxin: 46 produced enterotoxin C, 2 produced enterotoxin A, 1 produced enterotoxin D and 2 produced both enterotoxins A and C. Forty-one of the 46 enterotoxin C producers belonged to biotype C, and 31 of these were lysed by phage 78.