Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus sp. (MRS) in Different Companion Animals and Determination of Risk Factors for Colonization with MRS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus sp. (MRS) in populations of companion animals that either have previously been exposed or have not been exposed to antibiotic therapy or veterinary facilities, and if owners’ healthcare profession had an influence on colonization with MRS. In addition, the antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotype were investigated and risks for colonization with MRS were assessed. During this study, 347 nasal swabs (dogs n = 152; cats n = 107; rabbits n = 88) were investigated for the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In addition, 131 nasal swabs (dogs n = 79; cats n = 47; rabbits = 3; guinea pigs = 2) were examined for the presence of MRSA but also other MRS. In total, 23 MRS isolates belonged to nine staphylococcal species: Staphylococcus epidermidis (n = 11), Staphylococcus warneri (n = 3), Staphylococcus hominis (n = 2), Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (n = 2), and singletons Staphylococcus cohnii, Staphylococcus sciuri, Staphylococcus fleurettii, Staphylococcus lentus, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus. Twenty isolates displayed a multidrug-resistant phenotype. Various resistance and biocide resistance genes were detected among the examined staphylococci. Risk assessment for MRS colonization was conducted using a number of factors, including animal species, breed, age, gender, recent veterinary health care hospitalization, and antibiotic prescription, resulting in recent veterinary health care hospitalization being a significant risk factor. The detection of multidrug-resistant MRS in healthy animals is of importance due to their zoonotic potential.

Diversity and Risk Factors Associated with Multidrug and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci Isolated from Cats Admitted to a Veterinary Clinic in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

“…In this study, S. aureus was the most frequently identified Staphylococcus spp. in both healthy and diseased cats, followed by S. felis ; this is in disagreement with previously published studies [ 26 , 31 , 32 ], which reported CoNS as the most frequently occurring species in healthy and diseased cats. S. aureus is part of the normal bacterial flora in cats, especially those who are kept in close contact with their owners, which may explain the high occurrence of S. aureus in this study [ 33 ].…”

Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus cohnii and Staphylococcus urealyticus isolates from German dairy farms exhibit resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and divergent penicillin-binding proteins

“…Previous studies suggested that S. cohnii is largely uninvolved in severe infections such as mastitis in dairy cows 2,4 . However, NAS may harbor a wide range of AMR genes and serve as a resistance gene reservoir for pathogenic species 9,10 . The phylogenetic analysis revealed a clear genomic distinction from other NAS species.…”

“…cohnii as well as S . urealyticus isolates of animal origin were shown to carry multiple antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and express phenotypic resistance to various classes of antimicrobials 9 – 11 . Even resistance to last resort antibiotics such as linezolid was demonstrated 12 .…”

Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus from Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) in Saint Kitts

“…There is, in general, very limited knowledge about S. cohnii . S. cohnii has been isolated from different animal species without pathology (as dogs, cattle, pet animals), from environmental samples and on rare occasions, S. cohnii has been isolated from infections in humans, indicating that some strains may have some pathogenic potential [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. It has been shown before that this species can be intrinsically resistant to penicillins and negative for all known β-lactam resistance genes [ 23 ].…”