Aetiology of mastites and enterotoxin production by Staphylococcus sp. isolated from milk of two sheep herds

The study was performed in two herds of sheep during 2004-2006 and is focused on two parts: 1. Three years observation of the occurrence the bacterial agents of mastitis in two herds of sheep with different milking technology and proportion of individual pathogens in infection levels. The observation indicates: in the sheep herd with the machine milking the level of infection of the sheep mammary glands caused by Staphylococcus sp. ranged within 12.0%-29.8%, the level of infections caused by environmental bacteria was within the range of: Streptococcus uberis - 1.2%-3.2%, E. coli - 0.0%-7.8%, Enterococcus sp. - 0.2%-l.9%, - in the herd of sheep with the hand milking the level of infection of the sheep mammary gland by Staphylococcus sp. was within the range of 12.9-21.7%, the level of infections caused by environmental bacteria was within themngeof: Streptococcus uberis -1.5%-3.5%, Streptococcus dysgalactiae - 0.8 %-1.5%, Streptococcus agalactiae - 0.7 %-1.0%, E. coli - 0.0 %-0.3%, Bacillus sp. - 0.0 %-0.3%, 2. Identification, classification and determination of enterotoxin production in 698 Staphylococcus sp. The observation indicates: within the identified and classified 698 Staphylococcus sp. bacteria following strains are occurred: Staphylococcus aureus. spp. aureus (158), Staphylococcus intermedius (13), Staphylococcus hyicus (11), Staphylococcus epidermidis (133), Staphylococcus caprae (121), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (20), Staphylococcus gallinarum (27), Staphylococcus hominis (23), Staphylococcus chromogenes (31), Staphylococcus schleiferi spp. coagulans (19), Staphylococcus simulans (44), and Staphylococcus warneri (98) - out of 698 tested Staphylococus sp. 81 produced enterotoxins. The staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) of the type C was produced most frequently (47), then type A (8), type D (7), and type E (6). Combination, i.e. simultaneous formation of more SE types produced 2 species of staphylococci - SEA+SED (Staphylococcus aureus - 8 and Staphylococcus simulans - 4) and SEC+SEE (Staphylococcus simulans - 1). Staphylococcus aureus (52), Staphylococcus caprae (17), Staphylococcus simulans (6), Staphylococcus warneri (4), Staphylococcus epidermidis (2) participated in the production of enterotoxins most frequently.