RESISTÊNCIA À METICILINA EM Staphylococcus spp. ISOLADOS DE CABRAS LEITEIRAS EM OHIO, EUA

Abstract

Milk and dairy products can be contaminated by a large number of pathogenic microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, an important bacteria in the epidemiology of foodborne illnesses. An increasing percentage of isolates from different sources, has shown resistance to methicillin (Methicillin Resistent Staphylococcus aureus - MRSA), and can cause serious diseases in humans and animals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus in dairy goat herds in the State of Ohio. A total of 120 milk samples and 120 teat skin swabs samples were collected. These samples were processed in IDMEL - OSU, where the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the colonies was performed by PCR for the nuc and mecA genes. Fifteen samples were positive for S. aureus (6.2%), nine from milk samples and six from skin samples. Among them, five MRSA (2%) were detected, two of them isolated from goat milk and other three, isolated from the skin of the teats. Three isolates (1.25 %) who had the mecA gene but showed negative results for coagulase test, were also detected. This study is the first to show the prevalence and characteristics of MRSA in American dairy goats. This is important because without this knowledge, it is impossible to effectively control this organism responsible for much of clinical intramammary infections and an important human pathogen and a cause of great concern for public health.