Retrospective study of necropsy-associated coagulase-positive staphylococci in horses.
Abstract: Coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS) are potential causative agents of equine infections, but they are rarely responsible for the death of the animal. In the current study, staphylococci implicated in the death or euthanasia of horses were retrospectively studied in 3,457 necropsies performed over a decade (1995-2006). Morbidity associated with CoPS was 1.7%, representing 60 isolates of CoPS, which were identified as Staphylococcus aureus (59) and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (1). Coagulase-positive staphylococci (alone or in association with another bacterial species) were associated with the death or euthanasia of 90% of the cases (54/60). Proportions of antibiotic resistance to penicillin G and tetracycline reached 62.7% and 23.7%, respectively. Virulence genes were detected in 91.7% of the strains, with a majority of seh or sei enterotoxin genes. Finally, 3 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates belonging to the t064 spa-type were identified. One strain was isolated in 2003 and might thus be one of the first cases of equine MRSA in France.
Publication Date: 2010-11-23 PubMed ID: 21088182DOI: 10.1177/104063871002200617Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article looks into the role and impact of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS), namely Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, in equine deaths over a decade, along with exploring their resistance to antibiotics and the presence of virulence genes.
Overview of the Study
- The research constitutes a retrospective study of necropsies performed on horses over ten years (1995-2006). It examined the role of coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS), a type of bacteria, in the morbidity and mortality of horses.
- A total of 3,457 necropsies (post-mortem examinations) were evaluated, to identify the presence and impact of CoPS, which caused illness in 1.7% of cases. These microbes thus had a sizable role in the health issues of the horses evaluated.
- A majority of the CoPS species found were Staphylococcus aureus (59) and one case of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. These bacteria were linked to the cause of death or euthanasia in 90% of the cases with CoPS (54 out of 60 cases).
Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Genes
- The study also explored the levels of antibiotic resistance found in these cases, with penicillin G and tetracycline resistance detected in 62.7% and 23.7% of cases respectively. This underscores the growing concern of antibiotic resistance in microbial pathogens and the need for new antibiotics or treatments methodologies.
- Virulence genes were identified in 91.7% of the CoPS strains, with many presenting seh or sei enterotoxin genes. These genes make the bacterial strains more pathogenic, increasing their ability to cause disease.
Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Strains
- Of special note, three isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, were found. These belonged to the t064 spa-type.
- One strain of MRSA was isolated as far back as 2003. This strain is considered particularly significant as it could be one of the earliest cases of equine MRSA in France. The researchers emphasized the importance of vigilance in identifying such antibiotic resistant strains early, due to their potential impact on the health of horses and the implications for the management of infections.
Cite This Article
APA
Haenni M, Targant H, Forest K, Sévin C, Tapprest J, Laugier C, Madec JY.
(2010).
Retrospective study of necropsy-associated coagulase-positive staphylococci in horses.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 22(6), 953-956.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063871002200617 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (Anses), Unité Antibiorésistance et Virulence Bactériennes, Lyon 69364, France.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Coagulase / metabolism
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Retrospective Studies
- Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis
- Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
- Staphylococcal Infections / veterinary
- Staphylococcus / classification
- Staphylococcus / enzymology
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Nielsen SS, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortazar Schmidt C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MA, Padalino B, Pasquali P, Roberts HC, Sihvonen LH, Spoolder H, Stahl K, Velarde A, Viltrop A, Winckler C, Dewulf J, Guardabassi L, Hilbert F, Mader R, Baldinelli F, Alvarez J. Assessment of animal diseases caused by bacteria resistant to antimicrobials: Horses. EFSA J 2021 Dec;19(12):e07112.
- Little SV, Hillhouse AE, Lawhon SD, Bryan LK. Analysis of Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Carriage in Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Equids Using Whole-Genome Sequencing. mSphere 2021 Aug 25;6(4):e0019620.
- Iwata K, Kasuya K, Takayama K, Nakahara Y, Kobayashi Y, Kato A, Senba H, Yanagisawa M, Shibahara T. Systemic Staphylococcus pseudintermedius infection in an arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) with severe multifocal suppurative meningoencephalitis and nephritis. J Vet Med Sci 2018 Aug 10;80(8):1219-1222.
- Adams R, Smith J, Locke S, Phillips E, Erol E, Carter C, Odoi A. An epidemiologic study of antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus species isolated from equine samples submitted to a diagnostic laboratory. BMC Vet Res 2018 Feb 5;14(1):42.
- Guérin F, Fines-Guyon M, Meignen P, Delente G, Fondrinier C, Bourdon N, Cattoir V, Léon A. Nationwide molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus responsible for horse infections in France. BMC Microbiol 2017 May 3;17(1):104.
- Bajwa J. Canine superficial pyoderma and therapeutic considerations. Can Vet J 2016 Feb;57(2):204-6.
- Mohammad H, Reddy PV, Monteleone D, Mayhoub AS, Cushman M, Hammac GK, Seleem MN. Antibacterial Characterization of Novel Synthetic Thiazole Compounds against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. PLoS One 2015;10(6):e0130385.
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