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Effect of intramammary infection by Staphylococcus caprae on somatic cell counts and milk composition in goats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2002

ANTONIO SÁNCHEZ
Affiliation:
Division de Produccion Animal, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. De Beniel, km 3,2. 03312 Orihuela (Alicante), Spain Present address: (as for superscript ‘2' above)
CARLOS FERNÁNDEZ
Affiliation:
Division de Produccion Animal, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. De Beniel, km 3,2. 03312 Orihuela (Alicante), Spain
ANTONIO CONTRERAS
Affiliation:
Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Patologia Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo 30071 Murcia, Spain
CARLOS LUENGO
Affiliation:
Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Patologia Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo 30071 Murcia, Spain
JOAQUÍN RUBERT
Affiliation:
Division de Produccion Animal, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Orihuela, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Ctra. De Beniel, km 3,2. 03312 Orihuela (Alicante), Spain

Abstract

Since its identification by Devirese et al. (1983), Staphylococcus caprae has been frequently isolated from udder halves of goats with subclinical intramammary infection (IMI) (Contreras et al. 1995; Poutrel et al. 1996). Several different studies have demonstrated the capacity of Staph. caprae to persist throughout lactation (Poutrel et al. 1996; Contreras et al. 1997; Bedidi-Madani et al. 1998a) and during the dry period (Poutrel, 1984). Bedidi-Madani et al. (1998a) found that isolates of Staph. caprae from udders of uninfected goats express potential virulence factors (different exoproteins and slime); other researchers have occasionally isolated it from clinical cases of goat mastitis (Deinhofer & Pernthaner, 1995), or from human clinical specimens associated with bone and joint infection (Vandenesh et al. 1995; Shuttleworth et al. 1997). In spite of these forms of pathogenicity, some studies have not shown significant increases in somatic cell count (SCC) of milk from goat udder halves infected by Staph. caprae (Deinhofer & Pernthaner, 1995; Poutrel et al. 1996). Moreover, there is a lack of information on the effect of infection by this mammary pathogen on milk yield and composition. Knowledge of repercussions for hygiene and production would be useful in mastitis control programmes in view of the high frequency of isolation (higher than 22% of the staphylococci isolated) of Staph. caprae in dairy goat herds (Contreras et al. 1995; Poutrel et al. 1996). The aim of the present investigation was to ascertain the significance of persistent subclinical IMI by Staph. caprae on SCC, milk yield and physical-chemical parameters of Murciano-Granadina goat milk at mid-lactation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2002

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