Two hundred and eighteen strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine intramammary infections, obtained from 44 different dairy herds, were classified in biotypes based on staphylokinase (K) and beta-haemolysin (beta ) production, bovine plasma coagulation (Pl) and growth on crystal violet agar (CV). The strains were assigned to 10 different types, with 63 in the bovine (35), ovine (17), poultry (10) and human (1) ecovars and 155 in non-host specific biotypes. The latter can be isolated from man, goat, rabbit, pig, food, and bovine mastitis. The biotype 1, with reaction pattern K (-), beta (+), Pl (-) and CV (blue), was the most frequently found (37,2%). From seven herds ten or more strains were examined. It was found that in spite of the presence of different biotypes per herd, there was always one prevalent biotype.
Bovine; mastitis; Staphylococcus aureus; biotyping
