Abstract
This research paper aimed to demonstrate that mammary secretions provided by sheep farmers across Scotland from cases of clinical mastitis are free from environmental contamination, as well as to provide information on the major bacterial causes of disease and levels of antimicrobial resistance. Mastitis represents one of most significant diseases of small ruminant production worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus, Mannheimia haemolytica, Streptococcus uberis and coagulase-negative Staphylococcal species are common pathogens isolated from cases of sheep mastitis. Sampling kits supplied to 23 farms provided 33 samples for bacteriology, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and genetic analysis. Of the bacterial isolates identified, 60% were S. aureus, 23% M. haemolytica and 7% coagulase-negative staphylococci. Low levels of antimicrobial resistance were identified in the S. aureus isolates which provided novel multi-locus sequence types. In conclusion, this proof-of-concept survey demonstrated that mammary secretions free from environmental contamination may be provided by sheep farmers. It also provided data on the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance associated with clinical mastitis in sheep and will inform on the scale required for larger surveys aiming to improve current strategies for mastitis control in sheep flocks across the UK.
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