The Burden and Antibiogram of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus among Companion Animals with Respiratory Illness

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a global pathogen with both veterinary and public health implications. The present study was conducted to investigate the burden of MRSA among diseased companion animals showing respiratory signs. Nasal swabs were collected from 134 companion animals with respiratory illness (48 horses, 41 dogs and 45 cats), all swabs were cultured for MRSA using MRSA CHROMagar medium, whereas isolates were identified as MRSA using conventional methods and molecular detection of mecA gene. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance patterns for all obtained MRSA isolates were determined by the disk diffusion method using the following antibiotics: Cefoxitin, Ceftaroline, Penicillin, Oxacillin, Tetracycline, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Azithromycin, Clindamycin, Trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole, Norfloxacin, Quinupristin/ dalfopristin, Gentamicin and Nitrofurantoin. The prevalence rates of MRSA among horses, dogs and cats were 8.3%, 2.4% and 0% respectively. All the obtained MRSA isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. Two mecA gene sequences obtained in this study (one strain from dog and another from horse) were grouped in the same clade with sequences derived from human patients to underscore the potential public health implications of such strains. In conclusion, the current study highlights the burden of MRSA among diseased companion animals with respiratory illness with special reference to a horse.