Viable but Non-Culturable State in Staphylococcus aureus: A Potential Implication for Food Safety in the Context of Bovine Mastitis

The viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state is a stress adaptation strategy in bacteria, characterized by the loss of culturability and reduced metabolism, which may complicate both diagnosis and treatment. This review describes the potential transition of Staphylococcus aureus into a VBNC state during intramammary infections, and in dairy-associated food products. It further distinguishes VBNC cells from persister cells, another non-proliferative stress adaptation in bacterial cells. We propose