Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. investigation in hospitalized horses and contacting personnel in a teaching veterinary hospital

• Published in: Journal of equine veterinary science 2024-03, Vol.134, p.105031-105031, Article 105031
• Main Authors: Olivo, Giovane, Zakia, Luiza Stachewski, Ribeiro, Márcio Garcia, da Cunha, Maria de Lourdes Ribeiro de Souza, Riboli, Danilo Flávio Morais, Mello, Priscila Luiza, Teixeira, Nathalia Bibiana, de Araújo, César Erineudo Tavares, Oliveira-Filho, José Paes, Borges, Alexandre Secorun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: drug resistance; MRSA; ST398 clonal pattern; staphylococcal infections
• ISSN: 0737-0806; 1542-7412
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105031

•Staphylococci harboring MRSA genes were detected in a Brazilian equine hospital.•Staphylococcus species were isolated from 18% of the horses and 40% of the humans.•The mecA gene was detected in a S. pseudintermedius isolate from a horse.•Staphylococcus chleiferi subsp. coagulans was identified in hospitalized horses.•The clonal profile ST398 was identified in four samples. Staphylococci are well-known opportunistic pathogens associated with suppurative diseases in humans and animals. Antimicrobial resistance is an emergent threat to humans and animals worldwide. This study investigated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. (MRS) in hospitalized horses and contacting personnel (veterinarians and staff), and assessed possible interspecies transmission in a teaching veterinary hospital. Nasal swabs from horses (n = 131) and humans (n = 35) were collected. The microorganisms were identified by traditional biochemical tests and genotypic methods, i.e., PCR, internal transcript spacer PCR (ITS-PCR), and gene sequencing. Staphylococcal species were isolated in 18% (23/131) of the horses, of which 8% (11/131) were S. hyicus, 4 % (5/131) were S. aureus, 4% (5/131) were S. pseudintermedius, and 2% (2/131) were S. schleiferi subsp. coagulans. The mecA gene was detected in an S. pseudintermedius isolate. Staphylococcus spp. was isolated in 40% (14/35) of the human samples, all of which were S. aureus. In four samples of S. aureus, the clonal profile ST398 was identified; among them, a clonal similarity of 98.1% was observed between a horse and a contacting human. This finding supports the need for biosecurity measures to avoid the spread of multidrug-resistant staphylococci in humans and horses.