The link between non-aureus staphylococci in bulk milk and in milk samples of dairy cows

Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) have become the most common causes of bovine subclinical mastitis on modern dairy farms. Identifying and understanding the ecological nature and epidemiological behavior of the causative mastitis agents circulating in a dairy herd is integral to the implementation of herd-specific mastitis prevention plans and the improvement of mastitis management. Bulk milk sampling for bacterial culturing is readily available as part of (regulatory) milk quality screening programs worldwide and includes the milk of all lactating and milked animals in the herd. In a first phase of a larger  project we aim (1) to study the presence and distribution of NAS species in bulk milk samples and composite cow milk samples simultaneously and (2) to perform strain-typing to determine which proportion of NAS isolates from bulk milk in dairy herds originate from the mammary quarters of cows.Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) have become the most common causes of bovine subclinical mastitis on modern dairy farms Identifying and understanding the ecological nature and epidemiological behavior of the causative mastitis agents circulating in a dairy herd is integral to the implementation of herd-specific mastitis prevention plans and the improvement of mastitis management . Bulk milk sampling for bacterial culturing is readily available as part of (regulatory) milk quality screening programs worldwide and includes the milk of all lactating and milked animals in the herd. In a first phase of a larger  project we aim (1) to study the presence and distribution of NAS species in bulk milk samples and composite cow milk samples simultaneously and (2) to perform strain-typing to determine which proportion of NAS isolates from bulk milk in dairy herds originate from the mammary quarters of cows.