# Confronting the complexities of antimicrobial management for Staphylococcus aureus causing bovine mastitis: an innovative paradigm

## TL;DR

This paper reviews challenges in treating bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus and explores alternative therapies to combat antimicrobial resistance.

## Contribution

The paper introduces innovative alternative treatments to address antimicrobial resistance in bovine mastitis.

## Key findings

- Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation complicate mastitis treatment.
- Phytochemicals, AMPs, phage therapy, and graphene-based therapies are promising alternatives.
- Current antibiotic treatments are becoming less effective due to rising resistance.

## Abstract

Globally, Mastitis is a disease commonly affecting dairy cattle which leads to the use of antimicrobials. The majority of mastitis etiological agents are bacterial pathogens and Staphylococcus aureus is the predominant causative agent. Antimicrobial treatment is administered mainly via intramammary and intramuscular routes. Due to increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) often associated with antimicrobial misuse, the treatment of mastitis is becoming challenging with less alternative treatment options. Besides, biofilms formation and ability of mastitis-causing bacteria to enter and adhere within the cells of the mammary epithelium complicate the treatment of bovine mastitis. In this review article, we address the challenges in treating mastitis through conventional antibiotic treatment because of the rising AMR, biofilms formation, and the intracellular survival of bacteria. This review article describes different alternative treatments including phytochemical compounds, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), phage therapy, and Graphene Nanomaterial-Based Therapy that can potentially be further developed to complement existing antimicrobial therapy and overcome the growing threat of AMR in etiologies of mastitis.