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Abstract

Investigating the Association between Staphylococcus aureus and the Mastitis Spectrum †

by
Grace C. McLoughlin
1,*,
Noor-Ul-Huda Ghori
1,
Donna T. Geddes
2 and
Mark P. Nicol
1
1
School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
2
School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the More Than Just Milk Lactation Science Symposium, Perth, Australia, 25 November 2022.
Proceedings 2023, 84(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023084012
Published: 21 February 2023
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of More Than Just Milk Lactation Science Symposium)
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Mastitis is an inflammatory breast condition that encompasses a range of clinical presentations, better known as the mastitis spectrum; however, it is poorly understood. Mastitis is believed to be caused by an infection of the breast by bacterial pathogens, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most commonly reported causative agent. Gaining a better understanding of the association between the presence of S. aureus in human milk and the mastitis spectrum is crucial for improving our understanding of the aetiology of mastitis. This study aims to investigate the association between the presence of S. aureus in human milk and the development of mastitis across the mastitis spectrum. Lactating mothers were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire relating to their breastfeeding history and breast health. A milk sample was aseptically collected from each breast and cultured to isolate S. aureus. Preliminary findings show that 27% of lactating mothers with no breast inflammation (12/44) have S. aureus present in their milk, compared to 38% of mothers (8/21) reporting some form of mastitis-associated breast inflammation. Of the 21 mothers that reported breast inflammation, 12 mothers were diagnosed with mastitis and 9 mothers reported blocked ducts, of whom 58% and 0% had milk samples positive for S. aureus, respectively. These findings indicate that the development of mastitis may be more complex than the presence of S. aureus in human milk and further studies are needed to determine the role and pathogenesis of S. aureus across the mastitis spectrum.

Author Contributions

Conceptualisation, G.C.M., D.T.G. and M.P.N.; methodology, G.C.M., D.T.G. and M.P.N.; software, G.C.M.; formal analysis, G.C.M., D.T.G. and M.P.N.; investigation, G.C.M., D.T.G. and M.P.N.; resources, D.T.G. and M.P.N.; data curation, G.C.M.; writing—original draft preparation, G.C.M.; writing—review and editing, G.C.M., N.-U.-H.G., D.T.G. and M.P.N.; supervision, N.-U.-H.G., D.T.G. and M.P.N.; funding acquisition, D.T.G. and M.P.N. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council investigator grant (APP1174455) to M.P.N.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Western Australia (protocol code 2021/ET001087 and date of approval 22 March 2022).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing is not applicable.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Medela GA (Switzerland) for providing collection equipment for this study.

Conflicts of Interest

D.T.G. declares participation in the Scientific Advisory Board of Medela AG and is supported by an unrestricted research grant from Medela AG, administered by the University of Western Australia. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.
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MDPI and ACS Style

McLoughlin, G.C.; Ghori, N.-U.-H.; Geddes, D.T.; Nicol, M.P. Investigating the Association between Staphylococcus aureus and the Mastitis Spectrum. Proceedings 2023, 84, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023084012

AMA Style

McLoughlin GC, Ghori N-U-H, Geddes DT, Nicol MP. Investigating the Association between Staphylococcus aureus and the Mastitis Spectrum. Proceedings. 2023; 84(1):12. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023084012

Chicago/Turabian Style

McLoughlin, Grace C., Noor-Ul-Huda Ghori, Donna T. Geddes, and Mark P. Nicol. 2023. "Investigating the Association between Staphylococcus aureus and the Mastitis Spectrum" Proceedings 84, no. 1: 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023084012

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