Mastitis is the single most costly disease of dairy cattle resulting in the reduction of milk yield and quality. The inflammation of the udder is mainly caused by infection of various bacteria. One of such mastitis bacteria, Streptococcus agalactiae, is highly infectious and causes mainly subclinical infections, which are not identified by the herdsman. As a result, S. agalactiae can spread widely within a herd, causing immediate loss due to reduced milk. S. agalactiae is a gram-positive bacteria belonging to the Group B streptococci. Traditional cultural identification of S. agalactiae is based on S. agalactiae being beta-hemolytic as well as presence of group B Lancefield antigen and by its ability to hydrolyze sodium hippurate.
Storage Conditions and Product Stability All kit components can be stored for 2 years after the date of production without showing any reduction in performance.
All kit components should be stored at -20°C upon arrival. Repeated thawing and freezing (> 2 x) of the Master Mix and Positive Control should be avoided, as this may affect the performance of the assay. If the reagents are to be used only intermittently, they should be frozen in aliquots.
