Whole genome sequencing identifies exotoxin and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Staphylococcus aureus from Maine dairy farms.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of mastitis in dairy livestock and is a pathogen with unknown but potential impact on public and herd health in Maine. The primary objective of this study was to describe retrospective trends in S. aureus detection at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UMVDL) for milk samples submitted between July 2017 and June 2022.