Culturing Staph Aureus is a serious problem that affects many dairy cows, resulting in a significant loss of milk production due to mastitis. Once these bacteria invade the mammary gland, they will advance deep into the secretory cells and ductal tissue.
Staph infections produce scar tissue and can cause small abscesses to form in the udder.
Both may permanently limit a quarter's ability to produce milk. Milk loss varies with the severity of the infection. Culturing Culturing is essential in the identification of organisms responsible for mastitis. It is impossible to develop an effective control program without first correctly identifying the organisms. Samples collected for these bacterial cultures must be 'clean' - results from contaminated samples are worthless.