Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci in healthy dogs

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in healthy dogs and to determine whether methicillin-resistant staphylococci expressed the mecA gene. Nasal and rectal swab samples were taken from 50 clinically healthy dogs. The prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci was evaluated according to phenotypic properties. The agar diffusion method was applied to evaluate antimicrobial resistance and the prevalence of methicillin resistance was determined using PCR analysing the mecA gene. A total of 59 coagulase-negative staphylococcus strains were isolated from the nostrils and rectums of 37 (74%) clinically healthy dogs. The prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in female dogs was significantly higher compared with male dogs (P < 0.05). The results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that 6.7% of the strains were resistant to oxacillin, 23.7% were resistant to penicillin, 22% to ampicillin and 16.9% to erythromycin. The mecA PCR revealed one oxacillin-sensitive and four oxacillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci strains to be mecA carriers. Staphylococcus sciuri (60%) and Staphylococcus warneri (20%) were the most prevalent species among methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci. High antimicrobial resistance rates for these bacteria were observed against penicillin (100%), ampicillin (100%), oxacillin (80%), erythromycin (80%) and gentamicin (60%). All strains were susceptible to vancomycin and enrofloxacin. It is assumed that methicillin-resistance genes evolved in coagulase-negative staphylococcus and were then horizontally transferred among staphylococci.

Clonally Diverse Methicillin and Multidrug Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci Are Ubiquitous and Pose Transfer Ability Between Pets and Their Owners

“…Among pets, very sparse data are available on the specific nasal MRCoNS rates. Lower rates (1–15%) than those detected here (17%) have been observed among healthy dogs from several body sites (nasal, rectal, oral, anal, belly) (Vengust et al, 2006; Bagcigil et al, 2007; Aslantas et al, 2013; Gandolfi-Decristophoris et al, 2013; Garbacz et al, 2013; Chah et al, 2014; Davis et al, 2014; Wedley et al, 2014; Siugzdaite and Gabinaitiene, 2017). Interestingly, MRCoNS was isolated from 42% of healthy non-vet visiting and non-antimicrobial treated Labrador retrievers in the United Kingdom (Schmidt et al, 2014).…”

“…Interestingly, Tetracycline was only detected among human strains, while this antibiotic is widely used in both human and animal medicine (Guardabassi et al, 2004). The lack of resistance among animal strains differs from former studies among both healthy and clinical canine isolates, with rates ranging between 40 and 81% (Aslantas et al, 2013; Kern and Perreten, 2013; Chah et al, 2014; Wedley et al, 2014; Couto et al, 2016; Siugzdaite and Gabinaitiene, 2017). Such differences are most likely due to the groups studied and the geographical area of the sampling.…”

“…S. epidermidis was also the predominant species among tested animals, with an overall prevalence of 12.1% (9.3% among dogs versus 25% in cats), corresponding to 66% of strains. A diverse range of MRCoNS species have been detected among dogs, such as Staphylococcus sciuri , Staphylococcus warneri, S. lentus , S. vitulinus , or Staphylococcus fleurettii (Bagcigil et al, 2007; Becker et al, 2014; Chah et al, 2014; Davis et al, 2014; Schmidt et al, 2014; Siugzdaite and Gabinaitiene, 2017). Regardless S. epidermidis has a more defined role in humans; it may also form part of the normal microbiota of animals and, although at lower rates, has been detected as the predominant CoNS species among healthy dogs (Aslantas et al, 2013; Schmidt et al, 2014; Han et al, 2016).…”

“…This difference may again reflect higher exposure of humans to antimicrobial therapy or the clinical settings, or to the coexistence of resistance strains within the same ecological niche, which may favor the horizontal transfer of their mobile elements. Diverse MDR values have been observed among staphylococci from healthy dog owners and pets (17–93%), with most studies reporting very high MDR values (Gandolfi-Decristophoris et al, 2013; Garbacz et al, 2013; Wedley et al, 2014; Han et al, 2016; Siugzdaite and Gabinaitiene, 2017; Conner et al, 2018). Therefore, MRCoNS from healthy owners and pets represent a reservoir for AMR gene transfer in the community and may hamper successful treatment of staphylococcal infections in both animals and humans.…”

Temporal trends and predictors of antimicrobial resistance among Staphylococcus spp. isolated from canine specimens submitted to a diagnostic laboratory

“…Similar to previous studies [ 22 , 26 , 27 ], S . aureus had the highest levels of AMR and MDR followed by the CoNS [ 1 , 45 , 46 ]. Unfortunately, in this study, CoNS were not identified to species level nor was testing for mecA gene done since it was not part of the diagnostic protocol used by the laboratory that provided the study data.…”