Staphylococcal species composition in the skin microbiota of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica)

• Published in: PloS one 2023-07, Vol.18 (7), p.e0287261-e0287261
• Main Authors: Szczuka, Ewa, Wesołowska, Maria, Krawiec, Adrianna, Kosicki, Jakub Z
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscesses; Animal welfare; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteria; Biology and Life Sciences; Birds; Chloramphenicol; Chloromycetin; Ciprofloxacin; Clindamycin; Coagulase; Columbidae; Composition; Drug resistance; Drug resistance in microorganisms; Erythromycin; Fosfomycin; Gentamicin; Health aspects; Humans; Identification and classification; Infection; Infections; Ionization; Ions; Levofloxacin; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; MecA protein; Medicine and Health Sciences; Methicillin; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Microorganisms; Multidrug resistance; Norfloxacin; Opportunist infection; Pathogens; Penicillin; Penicillin G; Phenotypes; Physical Sciences; Pigeons; Research and Analysis Methods; Rifampin; Skin; Species composition; Species diversity; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus - genetics; Strains (organisms); Sulfamethoxazole; Tetracycline; Tetracyclines; Thermal cycling; Tobramycin; Trimethoprim; Vancomycin
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287261

Staphylococci are a natural component of the skin microbiota of many organisms, including humans and birds. As opportunistic pathogens, they can cause a variety of infections in humans. The close contact between domestic pigeons and their owners provide an opportunity for exchange of skin-associated bacteria. In this study, 41 healthy racing pigeons were tested. Staphylococci were detected on the skin of each bird (41/41, 100%). Isolates were identified at the species level using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The diversity of the Staphylococcus species was relatively high and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were predominantly isolated. In total, ten different staphylococcal species were identified. S. lentus (19/41, 46.3%) was noted most frequently. The pigeon skin was also inhabited by S. xylosus (6/41, 14.6%), S. equorum (4/41, 9.8%), S. hyicus (3/41, 7.3%), S. intermedius (2/41, 4.9%), S. sciuri (2/41, 4.9%), S. vitulinus (2/41, 4.9%), S. lugdunensis (1/41, 2.4%), S. hominis (1/41, 2.4%), and S. auricularis (1/41, 2.4%). Our results indicate that domestic pigeons may carry pathogens with zoonotic potential. All strains were susceptible to 12 antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, clindamycin chloramphenicol, erythromycin, fosfomycin, gentamicin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, rifampicin, tobramycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin) representing 8 different classes. None isolate displayed a multidrug-resistant phenotype. Resistance to tetracycline (6/41, 14.6%) and to penicillin (4/41, 9.7%) was shown. The mecA gene was not detected in the examined strains and no methicillin-resistant staphylococci were found on the skin of the healthy pigeons.