High Production of LukMF' in Staphylococcus aureus Field Strains Is Associated with Clinical Bovine Mastitis.

, a major cause of bovine mastitis, produces a wide range of immune-evasion molecules. The bi-component leukocidin LukMF' is a potent killer of bovine neutrophils in vitro. Since the role of LukMF' in development of bovine mastitis has not been studied in natural infections, we aimed to clarify whether presence of the genes and production levels of LukMF' are associated with clinical severity of the disease.