Fibrinolytic Activity of Beta Hemolytic Streptococci from Cow's Milk

One of the many unsettled problems concerning mastitis is its relationship to the organism designated as S. mastitidis. While the majority of workers agree that this relationship must be a very significant one, any new approach to the study of this subject should be of interest.Tillet and Garner1 found that many beta hemolytic streptococci from human diseases were capable of causing specific lysis of human plasma clots. Negative fibrinolytic tests were observed with other bacterial species from human sources, and strains which would actively lyse human plasma clots would not cause the dissolution of rabbit fibrin. Later Tillet2 stated, “There is a relationship between the infectivity of beta hemolytic streptococci for man and the fibrinolytic property of the cultures.”Madison3 confirmed the work of Tillet and Garner and4 further tested strains from horse, rabbit, man, and hog. The lytic action of each strain was determined on fibrin from horse, hog, cow, rabbit, and man, but he did not test organisms from...