| Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the most common causative agents of bovine mastitis, which is a severe problem for the dairy industry. Most cases are chronic-persistent infections, resulting in decreased milk yield and quality, and reduced animal welfare. Mastitis infections are difficult to eradicate with antibiotics and are often accompanied by premature culling. Due to the potential induction of foodborne intoxications in humans, S. aureus also constitutes a significant public health risk. Our preliminary work indicates that a highly contagious variant of S. aureus (ST8) has spread, especially among cattle in alpine western Austria. This is of potential concern, especially on pasture-based communal dairy operations, such as in the Tyrolean Mountains, since the risk of contagious pathogens being transmitted from cow-to-cow increases when animals from different farms are pastured together. Data on the spread of S. aureus and the highly contagious variant and its eradication are urgently needed to improve animal health and food safety.
The presented interdisciplinary project of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, in cooperation with the Austrian corporate partner Berglandmilch eGen Tirolmilch, include the following aims: 1. Assessment of the prevalence of S. aureus, particularly the highly contagious variant, in Tyrolean dairy herds and farms; 2. Determination of the transmission routes and infection dynamics at herd level due to Alpine farming during the year; 3. Identifying the effects of follow-up, treatment and prophylactic measures in S. aureus-positive herds; and 4. Preliminary work on developing a cost-effective, routine diagnostic tool for the detection of the highly contagious variant.
Reducing or, preferably, completely eradicating S. aureus in dairy herds would substantially improve dairy cows welfare and productivity of the dairy industry. Antibiotic usage and waste milk containing antimicrobial residues could be reduced, making dairy products safer. Consequently, a positive impact on regional value creation and sustainable food production could be achieved within the framework of the One Health concept. Furthermore, this project provides the basis for a more differential diagnostics of bovine mastitis, which could subsequently be applied to other mastitis pathogens or rolled out to other regions in Austria. |