Carriage of critically important antimicrobial resistant bacteria and zoonotic parasites amongst camp dogs in remote Western Australian indigenous communities

Abstract

Camp dogs in indigenous communities in the Western Australian Kimberley Region, share the domestic environment with humans and have the potential to act as carriers of, and sentinels for, a wide range of zoonotic agents, including intestinal parasites and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. In this study, we investigated the carriage of extended-spectrum-cephalosporin-resistant (ESC-resistant) Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and species of hookworm and Giardia among camp dogs in remote Western Australian Aboriginal communities. A total of 141 canine faecal samples and 156 nasal swabs were collected from dogs in four communities of the Western Australian Kimberley region. Overall, ESC-resistant E. coli was detected in 16.7% of faecal samples and MRSA was isolated from 2.6% of nasal swabs. Of most significance was the presence of the community-associated Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive MRSA ST93 and ST5 clones and ESC-resistant E. coli ST38 and ST131. The most prevalent zoonotic intestinal parasite infection was Ancylostoma caninum (66%). The prevalence of Giardia was 12.1%, with the main genotypes of Giardia detected being dog specific assemblages C and D, which are unlikely to cause disease in humans.

Molecular characterization of community‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus from pet dogs

“…isolates in Australia in which the few MRSA isolated were predominantly hospital‐associated MRSA strains, most notably ST22‐IV (Worthing et al, ), probably a result of most clinical isolates originating from urban settings in dogs with a history of hospitalization. Importantly, our findings were similar to the findings of Rusdi et al () in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, who also detected PVL‐positive ST93 and ST5 from nasal swabs from dogs. This likely reflects demographic similarities between these two study populations—such as a living in a harsh physical environment, social disadvantage and geographical isolation—features which are frequently experienced in remote Aboriginal communities.…”

“…All MRSA strains represented in this study are considered community‐associated lineages and have been associated with human clinical disease in Australia (Coombs & Daley, ). With the notable exception of a similar study in dogs in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, which also isolated MRSA from 2.6% of dogs (Rusdi et al, ), the prevalence of MRSA carriage in our study was higher than that reported in other studies worldwide, many of which have not isolated MRSA from community‐based dog population (predicated on outpatient well‐visit veterinary contact) (Daley et al, ; Gronthal et al, ) or have found the prevalence of MRSA carriage to be low (Loeffler et al, ; Weese & van Duijkeren, ). Our findings and those of Rusdi et al () present an important contrast with recent Australian studies which have failed to demonstrate carriage of MRSA in dogs or cats in urban settings (Bean & Wigmore, ; Worthing et al, ).…”

“…A minimum required sample size of 189 pets was calculated based on an estimated prevalence of MRSA carriage of 2.0% based on the findings of previous studies (Daley et al, , Loeffler et al, , Rusdi et al, , Weese & van Duijkeren, ), with 2% error and 95% confidence. The breed, sex and age (as reported by owner or estimated based on physical and dental examination) of pets was recorded.…”

“…Meanwhile, two recent Australian studies did not detect MRSA carriage amongst healthy pet populations (Bean & Wigmore, ; Worthing et al, ) and the prevalence of MRSA carriage in community‐based dog population studies from other countries has also been low, in most instances less than two per cent (Bean & Wigmore, ; Daley et al, ; Gronthal et al, ; Loeffler, Pfeiffer, Lindsay, Magalhaes, & Lloyd, ; Weese & van Duijkeren, ). In contrast, Rusdi et al () reported a relatively high (2.6%) prevalence of MRSA carriage in dogs from remote Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, highlighting an important potential link with the high incidence of community‐associated MRSA infections in humans in this region. Pet dogs and cats are prominent features of the home environment in remote Aboriginal communities, with potential consequences for human health (Burleigh, McMahon, & Kiely, ); hence, their potential to contribute to environmental contamination with MRSA justifies exploration.…”

Epidemiology of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus species carriage in companion animals in the Greater Brisbane Area, Australia

“…These ndings are in agreement with a recent study in two Sydney veterinary hospitals that isolated MRSP from 8% of veterinary personnel owned dogs and 7% of general canine hospital admissions (32). Other studies in non-clinical Australian settings have yielded much lower MRSP carriage estimates; only one MRSP was isolated from 117 healthy dogs in Victoria (33) and no MRSP on dogs from remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia and New South Wales (34,35).While the Victorian and Sydney study did not detect MRSA in cats or dogs, the two studies on dogs from remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia and New South Wales identi ed MRSA in 2.6% of the dogs (34,35). MRSA has been detected in Australian horses (3.7%) (2) so perhaps the lack of MRSA isolation in horses could be explained by the small sample size and single sampling location in this study, indicating the need to enrol more horses from multiple locations in future carriage investigations.…”