# Virulence factors of bovine mastitis pathogens: distribution, pathogenesis, and emerging vaccines targeting virulence factors: a literature review

## TL;DR

This review explores how virulence factors in bovine mastitis pathogens cause disease and discusses new vaccine approaches targeting these factors.

## Contribution

The paper reviews emerging vaccination strategies targeting virulence factors in bovine mastitis pathogens.

## Key findings

- Bovine mastitis pathogens use specific virulence factors to cause mammary gland inflammation.
- Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge in treating bovine mastitis.
- Vaccines targeting virulence factors offer a promising alternative to traditional antimicrobial treatments.

## Abstract

Bovine mastitis, mainly caused by contagious pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Mycoplasma bovis, environmental pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Streptococcus uberis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and a more opportunistic pathogen like Streptococcus dysgalactiae, severely threatens dairy production. These mastitis pathogens rely on their respective virulence characteristics to exert different inflammation of the mammary gland. Meanwhile, antimicrobials remain the primary treatment for bovine mastitis, but growing resistance often causes failure. Therapeutic approaches targeting the virulence factors utilized by these mastitis-causing pathogens are expected to become effective alternatives to antimicrobial therapy in dairy farming. Therefore, the objective of this review is to investigate the prevalence and pathogenic roles of virulence genes in mastitis pathogens, with an extensive exploration of the emerging vaccination approaches targeting the virulence factors for safeguarding dairy animal health.