**9. Conclusion**

*Staphylococcus aureus* is a major mastitis causing pathogen which is contagious in nature and persist in the mammary epithelial cell for long period of time and cause further infections. About 74% quarter prevalence of *S. aureus* in bovine udder with overall prevalence exceeding 61% in dairy animals. Cure rate in *S. aureus* mastitis is merely 25–50% during the lactation. A wide array of genotypic variations has been observed with great genetic diversity in the isolates of bovine as well as caprine origin. 17 different pulsotypes of dairy originated *S. aureus* have been reported with 24 virulence coding genes for leukocidins (lukED/lukM), pyrogenic toxin superantigen (PTS Ag), 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. The magnitude of yield loss in 30% cases of clinical mastitis reached up to 950-1050 kg per lactation. Attainment of refuge inside the macrophages and neutrophils is a major cause of *S. aureus* mastitis persistence. The antimicrobials cannot penetrate these structures to reach the mastitis causing organisms. This limits the use of antimicrobials to secondary importance in relation to immediate need of supportive treatment. Mammary probiotics are recently being used as alternatives to antibiotic for the treatment of mastitis. One of the most useful probiotics are lactic acid bacteria which interferes with bacteria associated with mastitis, or interact with mammary epithelial cells. Antibacterial properties of prebiotics are also studied *invitro*. Literature showed anti- staphylococcus vaccines with different results depending upon types of immunization, route of administration, adjuvant used and involvement of some other factors. Many types of vaccines are in use like commercial and herd specific vaccines. Commercial vaccines against mastitis caused by *S. aureus* are available in the local markets with variable efficacy around the globe. Studies conducted from last 15 decades show that experimental herd specific *S. aureus* vaccines as well as commercial vaccines reduce new infections in dairy heifers. Experiments are still in progress for the use of vaccine against *S. aureus* mastitis with optimal efficacy and reliability. Still, there is knowledge gap in using vaccines for prevention of *S. aureus* mastitis, needed to be research in focus. Perhaps, there might be bright future for farmers because of highly satisfactory trail results of mastitis vaccines in the lab animals.
