Living with dogs and cats: Is it a risk factor for community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections in humans?

Abstract

Introduction: Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus resistente (MRSA) is a human skin and mucosa colonizer being this colonization a risk factor for infections by this germ. It´s unknown the role that domestic canines and felines (CF) play in human colonization. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the association between MRSA isolation in clinical samples from skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in adults living with CF.

Methods: A retrospective model of cases (SSTIs with isolation of MRSA) and controls (SSTIs without isolation of MRSA) was used. We included 166 SSTI episodes treated in two hospitals, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between October 2014 and January 2018. Samples were taken by puncture through healthy skin and the material obtained was sown in usual culture media. For bacterial identification, mass spectrometry and automated nephelometry were used. Methicillin-resistance was confirmed by disc-diffusion with cefoxitin discs. Data on living habits with CF and classic risk factors for SSTIs by MRSA were collected.

Results: Patients with SSTIs due to MRSA live more with CF (crude OR 1.9; [1.1-3.7] p<0.05) and tend to live more closely with them (crude OR 1.8; [0.99-3.43] p=0.08). In the multivariate analysis, those who live closely with CF have 1.3 times more chances of SSTIs due to MRSA (adjusted OR 2.32; [1.12-4.78] p<0.02).

Conclusions: We conclude that there is an association between human MRSA SSTIs and living with CF.