Phenotypic and Molecular Traits of <i>Staphylococcus coagulans</i> Associated with Canine Skin Infections in Portugal

• Main Authors: Sofia Santos Costa (Author), Valéria Oliveira (Author), Maria Serrano (Author), Constança Pomba (Author), Isabel Couto (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2021-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antibiotics10050518; 2079-6382
• Keywords: <i>Staphylococcus coagulans</i>; <i>Staphylococcus schleiferi</i>; skin infections; dogs; antibiotic resistance; methicillin resistance; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antibiotics, Vol 10, Iss 5, p 518 (2021)

<i>Staphylococcus coagulans</i> is among the three most frequent pathogens of canine pyoderma. Yet, studies on this species are scarce. Twenty-seven <i>S. coagulans</i> and one <i>S. schleiferi</i>, corresponding to all pyoderma-related isolations from these two species at two veterinary laboratories in Lisbon, Portugal, between 1999 and 2018 (Lab 1) or 2018 (Lab 2), were analyzed. Isolates were identified by the analysis of the <i>nuc</i> gene and urease production. Antibiotic susceptibility towards 27 antibiotics was evaluated by disk diffusion. Fourteen antibiotic resistance genes were screened by PCR. Isolates were typed by <i>Sma</i>I-PFGE. Two <i>S. coagulans</i> isolates (2/27, 7.4%) were methicillin-resistant (MRSC, <i>mecA</i>+) and four (4/27, 14.8%) displayed a multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype. We observed resistance to penicillin (17/27, 63.0%), fluoroquinolones (11/27, 40.7%), erythromycin and clindamycin (3/27, 11.1%), fusidic acid (3/27, 11.1%) and tetracycline (1/27, 3.7%). The <i>blaZ</i> and <i>erm</i>(B) genes were carried by 16 and 1 isolates resistant to penicillin and erythromycin/clindamycin, respectively. Only three <i>S. coagulans</i> carried plasmids. The single <i>S. schleiferi</i> isolate presented an MDR phenotype. <i>Sma</i>I-PFGE revealed a limited genetic diversity of <i>S. coagulans</i>, with a predominant lineage present from 2001 to 2018. This study describes the first MRSC causing canine infection in Portugal and reveals a high burden of antimicrobial resistance, with the emergence of MDR phenotypes within the main lineages.