Coagulase-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus circulating in clinical mastitic goats in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiling of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from cats, Bangladesh

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a significant bacterial pathogen that frequently colonizes different body sites and mucous membranes of pets. The objectives of the cross-sectional study were to estimate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance pattern, and detection of diverse resistance as well as virulence genes of S. pseudintermedius in cats. A standard bacteriological method, species-specific gene and different antimicrobial resistance as well as virulence genes were confirmed by PCR assay. A total of 233 swab samples were collected from different body sites of 102 cats, among them 146 swabs from 73 healthy cats, and 87 from 29 diseased cats. Overall, prevalence of S. pseudintermedius in cats was 12.01%, while dermatitis and otitis affected cats were 26.08% and 33.33%, respectively. The highest antimicrobial resistance was observed against penicillin (96.42%) followed by streptomycin (85.71%) and erythromycin (78.57%). Moreover, 89.28% of S. pseudintermedius isolates exhibit multi-drug resistance (MDR) (≥ 3 classes' antimicrobial resistant). In addition, 17.86% isolates harbored the mecA gene; thus, were classified as methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP). Furthermore, the erythromycin resistance genes ermA and ermB were harbored by 25% and 10.71% of isolates, while 42.86% and 17.86% of isolates carried tetK and tetL (tetracycline resistance) genes, respectively. In virulence profiling, 32.14% (sea) and 10.71% (seb) of isolates were found positive for enterotoxin genes, whereas, the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (tst-1) gene and the Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene (pvl) were detected in 25% and 14.29% of isolates, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of cats in Bangladesh for MDR S. pseudintermedius, MRSP, and their virulence profiling.

Isolation and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli from caprine respiratory tract infections: A hospital-based clinical study

Objective

Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are the most common opportunistic pathogens frequently associated with respiratory tract infection (RTI) in different animals. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the occurrence of S. aureus and E. coli in goats with RTI, analyze the antimicrobial resistance patterns, and explore potential risk factors contributing to RTI.

Materials and Methods

A total of 120 nasal swab samples were collected from goats, and standard classical bacteriological methods were performed to isolate and identify S. aureus and E. coli. Subsequently, the disc diffusion method was employed to evaluate the antimicrobial sensitivity test. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with RTI.

Results

About 13.3% (N = 16; N = 120) isolates were confirmed as S. aureus, and 6.67% (N = 8; N = 120) isolates were confirmed as E. coli. All S. aureus isolates were resistant to ampicillin, and all E. coli isolates were resistant to amoxicillin and penicillin. Among the isolated organisms, 43.7% (N = 7; N = 16) S. aureus and 62.5% (N = 5; N = 8) E. coli isolates were found to be multidrug-resistant (resistant to ≥3 classes of antimicrobials). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that female goats [(odds ratio) OR: 4.2; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.8-20.8; p = 0.074] and goats in poor health condition (OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 0.7-19.3; p = 0.100) were more prone to RTI caused by S. aureus. Besides, goats that were not dewormed (OR: 4.8; 95% CI: 1-23.6; p = 0.051) and those reared in semi-intensive conditions (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 0.8-8.7; p = 0.092) were found to be at higher risk of S. aureus-mediated RTI.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the importance of implementing improved farm management practices and efficient antimicrobial resistance control approaches to minimize respiratory infections and reduce the burden of antibiotic resistance in goats.

Molecular insights into antimicrobial resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains: A potential zoonosis of goat origin

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains have attained global attention due to their life-threatening zoonotic nature. Being a member of ESKAPE group, S. aureus has an ability to escape the biocidal action of antimicrobial drugs. The current study investigated the prevalence and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), β-lactam-resistant S. aureus (BRSA), aminoglycoside-resistant S. aureus (ARSA), tetracycline-resistant S. aureus (TRSA), and fluoroquinolones-resistant S. aureus (FRSA) associated with goat subclinical mastitis (SCM). Furthermore, the antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility profile of various antibiotics and non-antibiotics (NSAIDs, nisin, N-acetylcysteine, vitamin-C) along with their possible role in modulating the antibiotic resistance of MDR isolates was also investigated. A total of 768 goat milk samples were subjected to California mastitis test for SCM followed by bacteriological and molecular characterization of S. aureus. Moreover, in-vitro susceptibility of resistant antibiotics, non-antibiotics, and their combination against MDR S. aureus were conducted through well diffusion and broth microdilution assays. The results depicted that 55.47 % and 26.82 % of milk samples were positive for SCM and S. aureus, respectively. The molecular assay confirmed 35.92 % of isolates as MRSA, 45.63 % as BRSA, 50.49 % as ARSA, and 32.52 % but no isolate was confirmed as FRSA on molecular basis. The multidrug resistance was observed in 62.13 % and 47.09 % isolates, respectively. Molecular characterized MDR S. aureus revealed high homology of study isolates with the isolates of neighboring countries like India, Korea, Iran, and China. Antimicrobial susceptibility trials on well diffusion assay showed higher efficacy of different non-antibiotics with resistant antibiotics as penicillin with ketoprofen and gentamicin with flunixin meglumine while oxytetracycline with N-acetylcystiene. The synergy testing by checkerboard assay revealed synergistic activity of penicillin with ketoprofen, gentamicin with flunixin meglumine, and oxytetracycline with N-acetylcysteine. The current study highlighted the emergence and spread of AMR S. aureus strains from goat SCM and provided insights into possible drug repurposing of various non-antibiotics to modulate the multidrug resistance of S. aureus which will be helpful in devising the therapeutic options and control measures for this pathogen.

On-farm epidemiology, virulence profiling, and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at goat farms

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) becomes a challenging issue that limits the therapeutic options for both veterinary and public health professionals. The current study aimed to investigate the on-farm epidemiology, antibiotics resisting profiling, virulence analysis, and molecular detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at the caprine-human interface. A total of 768 goat milk samples and 94 skin swabs from farm personnel were collected from 30 goat flocks and processed for isolation of S. aureus. The study isolates were confirmed as MRSA based on the oxacillin and cefoxitin disc diffusion test and the presence of mecA gene. MRSA isolates of goats and human origin were characterized and further evaluated for the presence of virulence genes responsible for intramammary infections and public health hazards. The results revealed 26.82 % and 27.79 % goat milk samples and human samples positive for S. aureus, respectively. A higher MRSA prevalence of 35.92 % and 10.71 % was found in goat and human isolates respectively. The phylogenetic analysis revealed a lesser extent of homology in mecA gene of S. aureus isolates at the caprine-human interface. Moreover, this study revealed strong evolutionary connection between the study isolates and MRSA isolates of Pakistani cattle and buffalo while the in-silico protein analysis showed that all sequences have the same protein motifs resembling penicillin binding protein 2a. The risk factors analysis revealed that teat length, drainage system, hygienic measures during milking, use of teat dip, teat injury, and veterinary services were significantly associated with subclinical mastitis in goats. A total of 43.24 % of local MRSA isolates showed multi-drug resistance (MDR). The isolates showed higher resistance to oxytetracycline followed by gentamicin and vancomycin while moxifloxacin, and linezolid were among the susceptible antibiotics. Local MRSA isolates carried virulence markers (nuc and coag genes) and biofilm-associated icaA (43.24 %) and icaD (29.73 %) genes which are responsible for the intramammary infection. The local isolates also carried the virulence genes of public health concern including the enterotoxin C (sec) gene (24.3 %), enterotoxins B (seb) gene (5.41 %), and enterotoxin D (sed) gene (2.7 %). Enterotoxins A (sea) and E (see) genes were not detected in any isolate. The study concluded that MRSA is an emerging and prevailing pathogen in dairy goats with a high potential to transmit to associated human beings. The presence of a variety of virulence factors as well as the associated antibiotic resistance makes MRSA a potential threat at animal-human interface and thus demands further research.

Molecular identification, antimicrobial resistance and virulence gene profiling of Staphylococcus spp. associated with bovine sub-clinical mastitis in Bangladesh

This study was conducted to investigate the diversity and antimicrobial resistance profiling of Staphylococcus species causing sub-clinical mastitis (SCM) in dairy herds in Bangladesh as well as putative risk factors associated with the infections. Individual quarter milk samples were collected from a total of 284 lactating cows from 30 dairy farms were screened by means of California mastitis test; 178 (62.7%) of them had at least of quarter affected by SCM. After conventional microbiological isolation procedures, PCR tests were used for Staphylococcus species identification and detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. S. chromogenes (65.7%) was the most predominant species followed by, S. epidermidis (20.2%), S. haemolyticus (19.1%), S. aureus (15.7%), and S. sciuri (5.6%). High levels of antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were observed in S. aureus (82.1% and 75%) and S. sciuri (80% and 70%), while resistance to cefepime was markedly higher in S. chromogenes (95.7%), S. haemolyticus (94.1%), and S. epidermidis (97.2%). Multidrug resistance isolates were identified in all five species. The mecA gene was detected in S. aureus (32.1%) and S. chromogenes (5.98%). In addition, 20% S. sciuri and 17.7% S. haemolyticus carried the cytotoxin (pvl) gene, while 14.3% S. aureus harbored the toxic shock syndrome toxin (tst) gene. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified "Old aged" (OR [CI]: 3.5 [1-12.4]); "Early stage of lactation" (OR [CI]: 3.4 [1.2-9.7]) and, "Firm udder condition" (OR [CI]: 4.2 [1.2-14.6]) as risk factors associated with SCM caused by S. aureus, S. chromogenes, and S. haemolyticus, respectively. Moreover, "Use of antimicrobials" (OR [CI]: 10.4 [3.4-32.1] and "History of previous clinical mastitis" (OR [CI]: 4.9 [1.2-19.7] for the carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp.

Antimicrobial and Methicillin Resistance Pattern of Potential Mastitis-Inducing Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Isolates from the Mammary Secretion of Dairy Goats

Staphylococcus spp. is an important mastitis-inducing zoonotic pathogen in goats and is associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and composition of staphylococci in individual mammary secretion (MS) samples of clinically healthy goats and to evaluate the phenotypic AMR pattern and the presence of methicillin resistance in the Staphylococcus spp. strains. Staphylococcus spp. isolates (n = 101) from the MS samples (n = 220) were identified to species level using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing included a disk diffusion assay and the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of resistant strains (n = 46). Presumptive methicillin-resistant strains (n = 9) were assessed for the presence of mecA, mecC and SCCmec/orfx genes. Staphylococcus spp. isolates were recovered from 45.9% of the MS samples, of which, 72.3% was identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), with the remaining being Staphylococcus aureus. CoNS and S. aureus were most commonly resistant to ampicillin (56.2% and 57.1%, respectively), penicillin (26.0% and 39.3%, respectively), amoxicillin (26 % and 25 %, respectively) and cephalexin (12.3% and 25%, respectively) in the disk diffusion method. CoNS exhibited a broader AMR pattern and a higher percentage of resistant strains than S. aureus in the disk diffusion and MIC methods. Of the nine oxacillin- and cefoxitin-resistant strains, three S. aureus and five CoNS strains carried the mecA gene and, thus, were identified as methicillin-resistant. The mecC gene was not found in any of the studied strains. The presence of AMR and methicillin resistance in caprine S. aureus and CoNS poses a concern for animal and public health.

Frequently used therapeutic antimicrobials and their resistance patterns on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in mastitis affected lactating cows

Mastitis is one of the most frequent and costly production diseases of dairy cattle. It is frequently treated with broad-spectrum antimicrobials. The objectives of this work were to investigate the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, find out the antimicrobials used in mastitis treatment, and explore the antimicrobial resistance profile including detection of resistance genes. Bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance genes were confirmed by the polymerase-chain reaction. A total of 450 cows were screened, where 23 (5.11%) and 173 (38.44%) were affected with clinical and sub-clinical mastitis, respectively. The prevalence of S. aureus was 39.13% (n = 9) and 47.97%(n = 83) while, E. coli was 30.43% (n = 7) and 15.60% (n = 27) in clinical and sub-clinical mastitis affected cows, respectively. The highest antimicrobials used for mastitis treatment were ciprofloxacin (83.34%), amoxycillin (80%) and ceftriaxone (76.67%). More than, 70% of S. aureus showed resistance against ampicillin, oxacillin, and tetracycline and more than 60% of E. coli exhibited resistance against oxacillin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Selected antimicrobial resistance genes (mecA, tetK, tetL, tetM, tetA, tetB, tetC, sul1, sul2 and sul3) were identified from S. aureus and E. coli. Surprisingly, 7 (7.61%) S. aureus carried the mecA gene and were confirmed as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The most prevalent resistance genes were tetK 18 (19.57%) and tetL 13 (14.13%) for S. aureus, whereas sul1 16 (47.06%), tetA 12 (35.29%), sul2 11 (32.35%) and tetB 7 (20.59%) were the most common resistance genes in E. coli. Indiscriminate use of antimicrobials and the presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria suggest a potential threat to public health.

Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-associated subclinical mastitis isolated from dairy cows in Bogor, Indonesia

Background and Aim:

Subclinical mastitis is an udder infection devoid of clinical symptoms, and Staphylococcus aureus is one of the bacteria causing this disease. This study aimed to identify and determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)-associated subclinical mastitis isolated from dairy cows in Bogor, Indonesia.

Materials and Methods:

S. aureus was isolated from subclinical mastitis milk specimens. All strains were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction-based detection of staphylococcal nuc, and MRSA was confirmed by the presence of mecA. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the disk diffusion method.

Results:

From 86 milk samples, 49 isolates (57%) were confirmed as S. aureus. All S. aureus isolates were susceptible to tetracycline, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Nine isolates were identified as MRSA (10.5%).

Conclusion:

In this study, we reported MRSA-associated subclinical mastitis in Bogor, Indonesia.

Development of ELISA against milk haptoglobin for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in goats

The study described the development of a haptoglobin-based diagnostic tool for mastitis in Ettawa crossbreed goats. Fifty eight milk samples were collected from a flock of goats in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. All samples were tested for mastitis using the California Mastitis Test (CMT), Somatic Cell Count (SCC), and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to identify Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis and Streptococcus agalactiae. The presence of haptoglobin mRNA and proteins in the milk somatic cells was detected using Sanger sequencing and SDS-PAGE, respectively. Milk haptoglobin levels were subsequently estimated using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed in this study. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of CMT, SCC, and the ELISA using the PCR as the reference standard. Kappa test was used to determine the agreement between the three imperfect tests. Results indicated that somatic cells of goat milk expressed a haptoglobin mRNA with a size of 174 bp and two haptoglobin proteins with molecular weights of 18 kDa and 32 kDa. The PCR test showed that 81% of samples were diagnosed positive for mastitis. At a specificity level of 50%, the ROC indicated that the ELISA was more sensitive compared to SCC or CMT (consecutively, 96%, 94%, and 92%). Kappa values between haptoglobin ELISA and CMT or SCC were high (0.84 and 0.81, respectively). This study indicates that somatic cells of goat milk were capable of synthesizing and secreting haptoglobin. Milk haptoglobin can be a potential target for an early detection of mastitis in goats.

Isolation of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp. from dogs in Chattogram Metropolitan Area, Bangladesh

Objectives:

Antibacterial resistance is a great concern in human and food animal medicine, and it poses a significant concern in pet animals like dogs. This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance pattern of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp. along with the carryover of some resistance genes in E. coli from dogs in the Chattogram metropolitan area, Bangladesh.

Materials and Methods:

Rectal swab (n = 50), nasal swab (n = 50), and skin swab (n = 50) samples were collected from dogs having respiratory infections, skin infections, and/or enteritis, respectively. Three types of bacteria were identified and isolated by conventional bacteriological techniques and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out against 12 antimicrobials by disk diffusion methods. Six resistance genes, namely bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M, tetA, tetB, Sul-I, and Sul-II, were screened for phenotypically resistant E. coli isolates by the polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

A total of 39 (78%) E. coli, 25 (50%) Staphylococcus spp., and 24 (48%) Streptococcus spp. isolates were isolated from the rectal swab, nasal swab, and skin swab samples, respectively. In the cultural sensitivity test, the E. coli isolates showed resistance to ceftriaxone (79%) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (64%). Doxycycline (80%) demonstrated the highest resistance among Staphylococcus isolates, followed by sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (60%). Streptococcus isolates showed the highest resistance to penicillin (63%), followed by ceftriaxone (54%), while no isolate showed resistance to gentamycin. The prevalence of bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M, tetA, tetB, Sul-I, and Sul-II genes in phenotypically resistant E. coli isolates were 100%, 61.29%, 100%, 8.33%, 56%, and 72%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Spillover of such multidrug-resistant bacteria and resistance genes from pet dogs pose a serious public health risk.