Ecology of Staphylococcus aureus: comparative characterization of strains isolated from man, cattle and sheep in Bulgaria and in the GDR.

Staphylococcus aureus strains from man, cattle and sheep have been differentiated by biochemical tests and by phage typing. Strains from pathological material of human origin mostly belong to the host-specific variety hominis, strains from mastitis in cattle mostly belong to the host-specific variety bovis. However, there are also strains from cattle which cannot be allotted to one of the known host-specific varieties and also strains which belong to the host-specific variety hominis. Strains from mastitis in sheep clearly differ from strains of human and bovine origin; these strains are designated as variety ovis. The frequency distribution of the host-specific varieties in man, cattle and sheep is the same in Bulgaria and in the GDR.