Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that can live harmlessly on the skin of animals but can also cause a range of infections.
In this study, researchers examined S. aureus isolated from broiler chickens to better understand its prophage typing and antibiotic resistance patterns.
Two hundred samples were collected, and biochemical and molecular methods were used to identify the staphylococci and test them for resistance to specific antibiotics.
The results showed that S. aureus from these poultry flocks had high resistance to ciprofloxacin.
These and other findings described in the article may help improve treatment options for infections caused by S. aureus in poultry and possibly other animals.
Further studies or surveillance in this area may be needed to further track changes in antibiotic resistance patterns in S. aureus from animal sources.
The authors Kh Rostami, M Nemati, and F Pourahmad published their findings in the article: Prophage Typing of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Broiler Poultry, dated 1 September 2021.
Key findings include:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known commensal and pathogen of many wild and domestic animals that can cause a variety of infections ranging from purulent skin infections to life-threatening septicemia.
- This study was conducted to determine the prophage typing and pattern of antibiotic resistance of S. aureus isolated from broiler poultry before they were slaughtered. For this purpose, 200 nasal and cloacal swabs from 20 different flocks were collected and analyzed.
- The results showed that the highest value of antibiotic resistance was observed against ciprofloxacin (94%), while the highest value of susceptibility was against gentamicin (85%). Twenty-eight (27%) samples were resistant to oxacillin, with 5 prophage types observed in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates-with SGB prophage identified as dominant at a frequency of 75%-versus 8 prophage types in methicillin-susceptible isolates, in which SGFa prophage was dominant at a frequency of 82%.
- The high prevalence rate of MRSA isolates suggests a potential risk of transmission of these bacteria to the food cycle.
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known commensal and pathogen agent of many wild and domestic animals.
A wide variety of infections can be caused by S. aureus, from suppurative skin infections to life-threatening septicemia.
This study was conducted to determine the prophage typing and the pattern of antibiotic resistance of S. aureus isolated from broiler poultry before they have been slaughtered.
In this study, 200 nasal and cloacal swab samples from 20 different flocks were collected for bacterial isolation. Staphylococci were identified using biochemical and molecular methods before being examined for mecA gene detections in all samples resistant to oxacillin and cefotaxime.
The highest value of antibiotic resistance was observed against ciprofloxacin (94%), and the maximum value of susceptibility was to gentamicin (85%). Twenty-eight (27%) samples were resistant to oxacillin. In methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates, 5 prophage types were observed, where the SGB prophage with a frequency of 75% was identified as a dominant prophage; in isolates of S. aureus susceptible to methicillin, 8 prophage types were observed, where SGFa prophage with a frequency about 82% was the dominant prophage.
The high prevalence of MRSA isolates can indicate the risk of transmission of these bacteria to the food cycle.
Furthermore, existence of various prophages in these isolates can be considered a threat to public health in producing pathogenicity factors in this bacterium while also empowering other bacterial pathogenicity, even other bacterial genera.
Keywords: broiler; methicillin resistance; prophage typing; S. aureus.
Copyright: the authors.
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