[Investigation of Skin Adherent Bacterial Flora in Dogs by MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA Gene Analysis].

Abstract

Due to the increase in the number of companion animal breeders in Japan, there are more opportunities for companion animals to come into contact with humans than before. Therefore, we investigated the bacterial flora adhering to the skin of dogs and the bacterial flora was analyzed for the presence of zoonotic bacteria that infect humans from companion animals. With the cooperation of students enrolled in the Department of Medical Technology and Science, Faculty of Fukuoka Health Care, International University of Health and Welfare. 39 samples were collected from the abdomen, back and paws of 13 healthy dogs using sterile swabs by the scraping method. The isolation culture was carried out only for facultative anaerobic bacteria to obligate aerobic bacteria and Bacterial identification was determined by MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Among the identified strains were Pasteurella canis, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus intermedius, which were difficult to detect in humans. The overall ratio of detected bacteria was 35% for coagulasenegative staphylococci, 14% for coagulase-positive staphylococci, 5% for Enterobacteriaceae, and 45% for natural environment. In the future, it is expected that extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing bacteria and drug-resistant bacteria such as Carbapenem-resistant enterobacterales will also be transmitted to humans through contact with companion animals.