**Abstract**

*Staphylococcus aureus* is a major causative agent of intra-mammary infections in dairy animals with potential virulence of surface components, toxins, and extracellular enzymes. About 74% quarter prevalence of *S. aureus* in bovine udder with overall prevalence exceeding 61% in dairy animals. About 17 different serotypes of dairy originated *S. aureus* have been reported with 24 virulence coding genes for leukocidins (lukED/lukM), pyrogenic toxin super antigen (PTSAg), haemolysins (hla-hlg), toxic-shock syndrome toxin (tst), enterotoxins (sea-seo, seu), exfoliative toxins (eta, etb), and genes for methicillin (mecA) and penicillin (blaZ) resistance. Attainment of refuge inside the macrophages and neutrophils is a major cause of *S. aureus* mastitis persistence. Mammary prebiotics and probiotics are recently being used as alternatives to antibiotic for the prevention of mastitis. Literature showed anti- staphylococcus vaccines with different results depending upon types of immunization, route of administration and adjuvant used. Studies has shown that herd specific as well as commercial *S. aureus* vaccines reduce new infections in dairy animals. Experiments are still in progress for the use of vaccines against *S. aureus* mastitis with optimal efficacy and reliability. Perhaps, there might be bright future because of highly satisfactory trial results of mastitis vaccines in the lab animals.

**Keywords:** *S. aureus*, dairy udder, transmission, pathogenesis, economic impacts, treatment, prevention
