Etiology of canine otitis media and antimicrobial susceptibility of coagulase-positive Staphylococci in Fortaleza City, Brazil

Abstract

This study evaluated the middle ear microbiota and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from strains isolated from dogs with otitis media. A total of 62 dogs obtained from Zoonoses Control Center of Fortaleza City - Ceará State / Brazil were studied over a 10-month period (August/2003 to June/2004). Of the total, 46.8% (n=30) of the animals were positive for otitis media and the infection was monomicrobial in 76.6% of them. The most frequent isolated agents were coagulase-positive Staphylococci (CPS-55%) and Pseudomonas sp (10%). For S. intermedius (n=13) and S. aureus subsp aureus (n=9), respectively, the greater resistance rates were observed using penicillin G (30.76% and 44.44%), ampicillin (7.69% and 44.44%), erythromycin (23.07% and 44.44%), clindamycin (23.07% and 44.44%) and thrimethropim/sulfamethoxazol (15.38% and 33.33%).