StaphGold — Interrupting The Chain Of Staph Aureus Infection
A Staph aureus infection can occur in high and low cell count animals and impact milk production by up to 15%. Staph aureus only sheds intermittently into milk and it’s notoriously difficult to detect and to treat successfully.
Can you risk it lying hidden in your herd?
Staphylococcus aureus is the world’s most common, contagious dairy pathogen. Importantly, Staph infections are usually subclinical, with no visible signs for most infections.
StaphGold ELISA is a highly accurate laboratory milk screening test that identifies specific biomarkers of a cow’s immune response to Staph aureus bacteria. The test can pick up ‘incognito’ Staph aureus cows that are quietly existing within a farm’s low-SCC animals, shedding bacteria intermittently and spreading the infection to healthy cows, usually via milking equipment.
StaphGold test results gives vets and farmers an accurate view of a herd’s Staph aureus prevalence – down to individual cow-level – regardless of pathogen shedding or cell count.
“If surveillance by other means suggests Staph aureus is present in the herd, then you should consider using the StaphGold test.”
With StaphGold, vets and farmers will have greater evidence to make more informed management decisions for the long-term health and sustainability of their herd and their farming business.
GOOLD FARM CASE STUDY - GIPPSLAND
In March 2023, after months of increasing bulk milk cell count, Andrew and Lynaire Goold’s dairy operation in East Gippsland, Victoria received a maximum 20% penalty on its monthly milk supply. Culture tests identified Staph aureus as the likely root cause of the persistent high cell count. The Goolds’ challenge remained to rapidly improve milk quality, reliably identify Staph aureus cows across the entire herd, and to put in place a management plan to remove Staph aureus carriers and eliminate or minimise new infections.
In late April, the StaphGold test was run across the Goold herd. The test identified the presence of Staph aureus infection in 50% of the high cell count cows. It was then applied to the rest of herd where it identified another 12 Staph aureus antibody-positive animals. By May, the Gippsland farm supplied much improved milk quality and achieved premium milk supply.
ProDairy Vet Dr Rob Bonanno says it was a surprising revelation to see how many Staph aureus positive cows were also discovered in the Goolds’ low cell count herd that would have been missed and would have been potentially infecting cows in this ‘clean’ herd, if they had not run the StaphGold test.
The prevalence of infection seen in cell culture samples compared well with that identified by StaphGold screening, which provided reassurance to Bonanno, ProDairy Regional Lead, on the reliability of the StaphGold results. With these results in hand and veterinary advice from Bonanno, Goold made the decision to cull Staph aureus positive empties producing less than 15 litres per day. In-calf and younger cows that were Staph aureus-positive with no clinical history were drafted, milked last, and selectively dried off.
“It was a surprising revelation to see how many Staph-positive cows were also discovered in the ‘clean’ low cell count herd that would have been missed and would have been potentially infecting cows in the clean herd, if we had not run the StaphGold test.”
With more granular data available from the StaphGold test, Goold says he would take quicker action to test, should he see a persistent SCC pattern developing in the future – and the insight of the StaphGold test has resulted in him taking a new approach to culling and replacement.
Bonanno says StaphGold has a place in the toolkit to manage herd health. “If surveillance by other means suggests Staph aureus is present in the herd, then you should consider using the StaphGold test.”
Bonanno says if vets are culturing high SCC cows and confirm the presence of Staph aureus, with increasing new infections and chronic cows that are not curing during dry animals and eliminate them from the herd, or at least minimise the risk they pose to other cows by milking them last or separately.
Identify hidden Staph aureus & limit the spread. Get in touch today.
Either call Alison or complete the form so she can contact you.
Dr Alison Digney
Business Development Manager
Koru Diagnostics
Email: alison@korudiagnostics.com
Mobile: 0492 853 048
Visit: staphgold.com
StaphGold ELISA test available through TasHerd, HICO, NHD and Dairy Express
StaphGold ELISA test available through TasHerd, HICO, NHD and Dairy Express
231.42 KBStaphGold is a registered trademark of Koru Diagnostics. Although the information presented is believed to be accurate and reliable, no responsibility for inaccuracies can be assumed by Koru Diagnostics. Koru Diagnostics reserves the right at any time to change performance characteristics and specifications without prior notice.
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