Occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus in cattle, sheep, goat, and pig rearing in the Czech Republic

The study focused on the prevalence ofStaphylococcus aureusand resistant strains in livestock. In this study, 114 different samples from three cattle farms (84 from two farms of dairy cows and 30 from one farm of suckler cows), 132 samples from one sheep farm, 120 samples from one goat farm, and 82 samples from three pig farms were examined. Strains identified asStaphylococcus aureuswere further analysed by the polymerase chain reaction method for detection of themecA gene and for confirmation of the sequence type 398. Positive incidence ofStaphylococcus aureuswas confirmed in farms of suckler cows, sheep, goats and pigs. The incidence of methicilin-resistantStaphylococcus aureuswas confirmed at a goat farm, with all strains belonging to the sequence type 398. Repetitive element palindromic-polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to compare the relatedness of selected human and animalS. aureusstrains at the goat and sheep farms. The obtained data from repetitive element-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed significant clonal similarity among the tested isolates and indicated the possibility of mutual transmission between animals or animal and human and possible transfer in the food chain.