Genotypic detection of some virulence factors and genetic tree of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from buffalo with subclinical mastitis in Nineveh governorate

Description

Fahad Yaseen Taha, Ayman Hani Taha, and Omar Hashim Sheet investigate, in a 2026 study, Staphylococcus aureus hiding in buffalo milk in Iraq's Nineveh governorate. The bacterium is the leading cause of udder inflammation in buffalo, including subclinical cases that cut yield. Sixty subclinical milk samples collected between October and December 2024 underwent culture and biochemical identification. PCR screening followed for seven genes covering identity, methicillin resistance, binding factors, and toxins, with one gene used to build a family tree.

Nine samples, 15 percent of the total, carried the bacterium, with one district reaching 30 percent. Every isolate carried the identity gene and both binding factor genes, while the resistance gene and all three toxin genes were absent, a comparatively benign profile. Five distinct strain sequences were lodged in GenBank, and the tree showed the local strains sharing features with isolates worldwide. The authors map a low-threat pathogen population worth continued watching.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13314351