Partial prediction of the duration and the clinical status of Staphylococcus aureus bovine intramammary infections based on the phenotypic and genotypic analysis of isolates.

•Quarter milk sample series allowed studying duration of IMIs and clinical outcome.•Prevalence of lukM is higher in S. aureus from clinical cases vs subclinical cases.•Time to elimination was shorter for strains from the subclinical lactation series.•S. aureus strains from spa types t359 and t529 were less likely to persist.•Defining the S. aureus spa type can help to identify problematic strains in a herd.