Production of toxic shock syndrome toxin by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cow's milk and farm bulk milk.

The production of toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST) by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from mastitic cow's milk and farm bulk milk was examined by a reverse passive latex agglutination method (RPLA). TSST was detected in 25 (58.1%) of 43 isolates from clinical mastitic cow's milk, in 79 (76.7%) of 103 isolates from subclinical mastitic cow's milk, and in 95 (75.4%) of 126 isolates from farm bulk milk, respectively. When the quantity of TSST in the isolates was determined by RPLA, the titers ranged from 5 to 2560. TSST with RPLA titers of 640 to 2,560 was produced by 83 (30.5%) of 272 isolates tested. Almost all of the isolates showing RPLA titers of 640 and over produced enterotoxin C, whereas isolates showing titers of 5 to 320 produced enterotoxin C or both enterotoxin A and C. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing with immunoblotting showed that the TSST from bovine isolates had same molecular size (22 kDa) and isoelectric point (7.2) as TSST-1 from human isolates. These findings are consistent with previous reports.