Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus strains from rabbits.

Clumping factor- (slide coagulase-) and DNase-positive staphylococci isolated from lesions and carrier sites in rabbits in Belgium, France and the Netherlands all belonged to the species Staphylococcus aureus. Their biotype characteristics were heterogenic. The great majority of the strains could be allotted to 3 biotypes. One ground showed the characteristics of human S. aureus strains. Other strains belonged to a second group which cannot be associated with a specific host species and the features of most strains which belonged to the third group were similar to those of strains commonly found in pigs. The third group was associated which cutaneous staphylococcosis in young rabbits. Geographic differences in the prevalence of these groups were noted. Many strains were epidemiologically related or belonged to a single phage type which showed evidence of epidemic spread.