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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Characterisation of nasal Staphylococcus delphini and Staphy...
Equine veterinary journal2014; 47(4); 463-466; doi: 10.1111/evj.12305

Characterisation of nasal Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates from healthy donkeys in Tunisia.

Abstract: Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG) bacteria can colonise the nares of some animals but are also emerging pathogens in humans and animals. Objective: To analyse SIG nasal carriage in healthy donkeys destined for food consumption in Tunisia and to characterise recovered isolates. Methods: Nasal swabs from 100 healthy donkeys were tested for SIG recovery, and isolates were identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates was tested and detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes was performed. Isolates were typed at the clonal level by multilocus sequence typing and SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results: Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (included in SIG) were obtained in 19% and 2% of the tested samples, respectively, and one isolate per sample was characterised. All isolates were meticillin susceptible and mecA negative. Most S. delphini and S. pseudintermedius isolates showed susceptibility to all antimicrobials tested, with the exception of 2 isolates resistant to tetracycline (tet(M) gene) or fusidic acid. The following toxin genes were identified (percentage of isolates): lukS-I (100%), lukF-I (9.5%), siet (100%), se-int (90%), seccanine (19%) and expA (9.5%). Thirteen different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles were identified among the 21 SIG isolates. Additionally, the following 9 different sequence types (STs) were detected by multilocus sequence typing, 6 of them new: ST219 (6 isolates), ST12 (5 isolates), ST220 (3 isolates), ST13, ST50, ST193, ST196, ST218 and ST221 (one isolate each). Conclusions: Staphylococcus delphini and S. pseudintermedius are common nasal colonisers of donkeys, generally susceptible to the antimicrobials tested; nevertheless, these SIG isolates contain virulence genes, including the recently described exfoliative gene (expA) and several enterotoxin genes, with potential implications for public health. This is the first description of S. delphini in Tunisia. The Summary is available in Chinese - see Supporting information.
© 2014 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2014-08-14 PubMed ID: 24913693DOI: 10.1111/evj.12305Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates the presence and characteristics of specific bacteria, Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, in the noses of healthy donkeys in Tunisia. It was found that these bacteria are common, mostly susceptible to known antimicrobials, but also carry genes which carry potential threats to public health.

Objectives of the Research

  • The primary aim of this study was to analyse the nasal carriage of Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG) bacteria in healthy Tunisian donkeys destined for food. These bacteria include Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
  • The researchers also sought to characterise the biochemical and molecular identities of the recovered isolates.
  • The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was tested with detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes.

Research Methodology

  • Nasal swabs were taken from 100 healthy donkeys, which were tested for the SIG bacteria.
  • Molecular and biochemical methods were used to identify the isolates.
  • The susceptibility of the isolates to antimicrobials was determined, following which detection of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes was performed.
  • Isolates were differentiated at the clonal level using multilocus sequence typing and SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, two modern genetic profiling techniques.

Key Findings of the Study

  • Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius were found in 19% and 2% of the tested samples respectively, with only one isolate per sample being characterised.
  • All isolates were found to be susceptible to methicillin and were mecA negative indicating no resistance to antibiotics.
  • The majority of isolates showed susceptibility to all antimicrobials tested, except for two that were resistant to tetracycline or fusidic acid.
  • Several toxin genes were identified in the isolates, including the recently discovered exfoliative gene (expA) and several enterotoxin genes.
  • A diversity of genetic profiles and sequence types (STs) were found among the isolates; six types were new and not previously documented.

Implications

  • Staphylococcus delphini and S. pseudintermedius are common nasal colonisers of donkeys, and generally susceptible to various antimicrobials.
  • These isolates carry virulence genes which could imply a potential threat to public health. If transferred to humans during the food chain process, these bacteria might initiate illness.
  • First record of S. delphini presence in Tunisia.

Cite This Article

APA
Gharsa H, Slama KB, Gómez-Sanz E, Gómez P, Klibi N, Zarazaga M, Boudabous A, Torres C. (2014). Characterisation of nasal Staphylococcus delphini and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates from healthy donkeys in Tunisia. Equine Vet J, 47(4), 463-466. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12305

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 47
Issue: 4
Pages: 463-466

Researcher Affiliations

Gharsa, H
  • Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar, Tunisia.
Slama, K Ben
  • Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar, Tunisia.
Gómez-Sanz, E
  • Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
  • Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland.
Gómez, P
  • Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
Klibi, N
  • Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar, Tunisia.
Zarazaga, M
  • Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
Boudabous, A
  • Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar, Tunisia.
Torres, C
  • Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Equidae / microbiology
  • Nose / microbiology
  • Staphylococcus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus / genetics
  • Staphylococcus / isolation & purification
  • Staphylococcus / pathogenicity
  • Tunisia
  • Virulence / genetics

Citations

This article has been cited 12 times.
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    doi: 10.1007/s00284-016-1038-4pubmed: 27086303google scholar: lookup
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