Isolation of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from chickens

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from the nares and skin of 1-to 8-weekold healthy chickens in three flocks from a farm. Isolation of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci was positive for 72 (25.7%) of the 280 chickens tested, with the frequency varying from 2.2 to 100% according to flock. A total of 45 appropriate isolates were selected and subjected to identification. Of the 45 methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates selected, 37 were identified as Staphylococcus sciuri, 5 were identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis, and 3 were identified as Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The distribution of the species was different among the flocks. Comparative analysis of the SmaI-digested chromosomal DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the isolates could have originated from a single clone of each of S. sciuri and S. saprophyticus and three clones of S. epidermidis. By two methods based on the PCR technique, the mecA gene was detected in all five representative isolates of each methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal clone. The nucleotide sequence of a PCR fragment obtained from an isolate of S. sciuri was completely identical to the corresponding region of mecA genes reported in human methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates and Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates. The representative methicillinresistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal isolates were resistant to many ␤-lactam antibiotics, and some isolates were also resistant to macrolide and aminoglycoside antibiotics. This is the first evidence of the existence of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from animals possessing the mecA gene.

Antibiotic resistance in staphylococci associated with cats and dogs

“…At that time the MRSA isolates were suspected of being transferred from the dairymen to the cows on the basis of phenotypic characteristics and because at that time occurrence of MRSA in animals was considered a rare event. Recent studies have reported the isolation of MRSA from several species of animals (Hartman et al 1997;Shimizu et al 1997;van Duijkeren et al 2004a) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci have even been isolated from chickens and horses (Kawano et al 1996;Yasuda et al 2000). Although MRSA and methicillinresistant coagulase-negative staphylococci are not clinically important in cats and dogs, a few reports in the past have suggested the transfer of Staph.…”

Multidrug-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci in food animals

“…More importantly, methicillin‐resistant CoNS (MRCoNS) have been isolated worldwide from food animals (Kawano et al . ; Fessler et al . ; Haenni et al .…”

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonization in clinically normal dogs and horses in the community

“…The emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance amongst staphylococci is an important problem in human and veterinary medicine (Archer 1984; Parisi 1985; Kawano et al. 1996; Ayliffe 1997).…”

“…Colonization by methicillin‐resistant staphylococci (MRS) of any species may pose a risk for plasmid‐encoded transfer of antimicrobial resistance determinants between staphylococci and other bacterial organisms (Archer 1984; Parisi 1985; Kawano et al. 1996; Yasuda et al.…”