EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE PROFILE AND DETECTION OF MECA GENE IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS SPP. ISOLATES FROM DOG-OWNING VETERINARY STUDENTS

Abstract

The maintenance of pets as reservoirs of multiresistant bacteria and the transmission of microorganisms such as Staphylococcus spp. between animals and humans can affect the effectiveness of antimicrobials in human medicine. The aim of this study was to detect risk factors, evaluate the phenotypic profile of antimicrobial resistance and detect the mecA gene in Staphylococcus spp. isolated from the nasal cavity of students of veterinary medicine who own dogs. This is a field survey where 35 nasal swab samples were collected to isolate Staphylococcus spp. The antimicrobial resistance of the isolates and the classification according to the multidrug resistance profile (MDR) were determined. The presence of the mecA gene was investigated in isolates with resistance to oxacillin. In addition, the research subjects answered a questionnaire about behavior towards the dog and hygiene habits to identify risk variables for developing antimicrobial resistance. The antimicrobials tested were ampicillin, penicillin, oxacillin, cephalothin, clindamycin, gentamicin, erythromycin, enrofloxacin, and tetracycline. 92.9% of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) and 45% of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were resistant to the beta-lactam class, and 28.6% of CoPS and 45% of CoNS showed MDR profile. Three isolates were classified as resistant to oxacillin, and the mecA gene was detected in 100% of these isolates. About half of the individuals used antimicrobials in the last 12 months (52.9%), and 75% used amoxicillin, which could explain the high antimicrobial resistance profile. Dog owners harbor Staphylococcus spp. with high resistance to beta-lactam antimicrobials and a multi-resistance profile, representing a unique One Health problem.