Adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to the liner in relation to subsequent machine milkings in a lab test
Keywords:
Staphylococcus aureus, mastitis, liner, transmissionAbstract
Staphylococcus (S.) aureus is one of the main causes of bovine mastitis, and its transmission during milking is a significant challenge for herd management. This study investigates the persistence of S. aureus on teat liners after simulating the milking of a cow infected with S. au- reus, testing two common liner materials: nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and silicone (SIL). A bucket milking system and a rubber udder were used to simulate the milking process, with an initial milking using S. aureus-contaminated milk, followed by six subsequent simulated milkings with uncontaminated ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk. The presence of S. aureus on the teat liners was quantified by using a modified wet-dry swab method. Results demonstrated that S. aureus was consistently detectable on both liner materials throughout all six subsequent milkings, with a significant decrease in bacterial counts of approximately 85% for NBR and 78% for SIL. Importantly, NBR liners showed a higher risk of pathogen adherence compared to SIL liners. The findings reaffirm the risk of transmission of S. aureus through teat liners and highlight the importance of intermediate cluster disinfection between each milking to decrease this risk.
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