Survey the presence of coagulase positive staphylococcus aureus in cottage cheeses produced from sheep milk and sold in Marand county

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the pathogens that causing food poisoning in humans. According to the methods of preparing the traditional raw milk cheeses and various ways of enterance of S. aureus to milk، survey of contamination of cheeses by this bacterium، may help to decrease of food poisoning caused by this microorganism. In this study 80 cheese samples (200g) produced from sheep milk randomly chosen from Marand County and detection of this microorganism was done. Diluted samples cultured in the broth agar، and then colonies in the basis of conformation divided into four groups. Coagulase test was performed on the some colonies of each group and catalase positive colonies cultured in nutrient agar. Complementary test like glucose، manitol and coagulase reveal the coagulase positive organism. Finally the black، shining and convex colonies in Baird parker agar were counted. We found that all samples (80 cottage cheeses samples) were contaminated by this organism. 6. 25% of samples contain more than 105 bacteria in each gram and 16. 25% have 104 – 105 bacteria in each gram. In according to this study control and monitoring of dairy producer should be more and do not use non-pasteurized dairy product especially cottage cheeses.