Biochemical characterization of staphylococci isolated from goats.

Caprine strains of staphylococci show strong and early results in carbohydrate fermentation tests. Their ability to produce DNase and acetoin is weak but they possess a reasonably high degree of phosphatase activity. All the 82 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinically healthy and sick goats produced acid from D-(+)-glucose aerobically at 37 degrees C within 24 h, 98.8% fermented both D-mannitol and maltose, 98.7% fermented sucrose, and 81.7% fermented D-(+)-xylose with acid production, but none fermented L-sorbose. Of the ten coagulase-negative staphylococci characterized to be of animal origin, three produced DNase, but none fermented dulcitol and L-sorbose. All fermented D-(+)-glucose, maltose and D-mannitol, eight fermented D-(+)-xylose and D-sorbitol with acid production. Whilst other coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci showed different antibiotic susceptibility patterns, the ten coagulase-negative staphylococci characterized to be of animal origin showed similar antibiotic susceptibility patterns.