Klebsiella species associated with bovine mastitis in Newfoundland

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 2;9(9):e106518. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106518. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Klebsiella spp. is a common cause of bovine mastitis, but information regarding its molecular epidemiology is lacking from many parts of the world. On using mass spectrometry and partial sequencing of the rpoB gene, it was found that over a one year study, K. variicola and Enterobacter cloacae were misidentified as K. pneumoniae in a small number of clinical mastitis (CM) cases from Newfoundland. Results suggest that the currently used standard biochemical/phenotypic tests lack the sensitivity required to accurately discriminate among the three mentioned Gram negative bacteria. In addition, a single strain of K. variicola was associated with CM from one farm in the study as demonstrated by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR. To the best of our knowledge, K. variicola, which is normally found in the environment, has not been isolated previously from milk obtained from cows with CM. Therefore, it is possible that K. variicola was not detected in milk samples in the past due to the inability of standard tests to discriminate it from other Klebsiella species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Cattle
  • Female
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Genotype
  • Klebsiella / classification
  • Klebsiella / genetics
  • Klebsiella / pathogenicity*
  • Klebsiella Infections / epidemiology
  • Klebsiella Infections / microbiology
  • Klebsiella Infections / veterinary*
  • Mastitis, Bovine / epidemiology
  • Mastitis, Bovine / microbiology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Milk / microbiology
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Newfoundland and Labrador / epidemiology
  • Phylogeny
  • Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
  • Species Specificity

Grants and funding

The described work was funded by the Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and supported by Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador. Equipment used in the study was purchased with the assistance of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC-NL) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The authors would also like to acknowledge NSERC and the Memorial University of Newfoundland for additional financial assistance. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.