Current Challenges of Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostics Concerning the Susceptibility of Staphylococci to Antibiotics

Abstract

Staphylococci belong to bacteria often isolated from clinical material obtained from animals. Unlike in human medicine, in veterinary, different species of coagulase-positive staphylococci are isolated from clinical specimens, and except Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, and other species are also often recognized. Recently, the taxonomy of staphylococci has been updated, therefore, now it is necessary to recognize the new species as well. Currently, coagulase-negative staphylococci are considered an important group of opportunistic pathogens. The accurate identification of species within the genus Staphylococcus is important because, according to the EUCAST and CLSI recommendations, the interpretation of the results of susceptibility testing for S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci is different. Furthermore, the resistance to methicillin in S. aureus strains is detected using a cefoxitin disk, whereas in the case of S. pseudintermedius-using an oxacillin disk. An important problem for veterinary microbiological laboratories is a limited number of unified guidelines on methodology and guidelines specifying the interpretation of the results of antibiotic susceptibility testing. The lack of available recommendations for some antibiotics testing results in the fact that veterinary laboratories often use the guidelines established for human pathogens. There is an urgent necessity for harmonization of methods and to develop guidelines for the interpretation of results of susceptibility testing for different bacteria, including various species of staphylococci from the individual animal host. 1. Introduction. 2. Problems with the identification of staphylococci isolated from animals. 3. Determination of susceptibility of staphylococci-traditional methods. 4. Alternative methods for determining the susceptibility of staphylococci. 5. Detection of staphylococcal resistance to methicillin. 6. Interpretation of the results of the susceptibility testing of veterinary pathogens. 7. Prevention of the antimicrobial resistance. 8. Summary Aktualne wyzwania weterynaryjnej diagnostyki mikrobiologicznej dotyczącej oznaczania lekowrażliwości gronkowców Streszczenie: Gronkowce należą do bakterii często izolowanych z materiału klinicznego pobieranego od zwierząt. W weterynarii z próbek klinicznych oprócz Staphylococcus aureus izolowane są także inne gatunki gronkowców koagulazo-dodatnich. Ponadto, coraz częściej rozpoznawane są także gronkowce koagulazo-ujemne. Taksonomia rodzaju Staphylococcus ulegała ostatnio aktualizacji, wyodrębniono kilka nowych gatunków, które mogą również występować u zwierząt. Powoduje to pewne trudności w precyzyjnej identyfikacji gronkowców. Dokładna identyfikacja gatunków z rodzaju Staphylococcus jest niezwykle istotna, ponieważ, zgodnie z zaleceniami EUCAST i CLSI, interpretacja wyników badań lekowrażliwości S. aureus i gronkowców koagulazo-ujemnych jest różna. Ponadto oporność na metycylinę wśród szczepów S. aureus wykrywa się przy pomocy krążków z cefoksytyną, natomiast w...

Staphylococcal mastitis in dairy cows

“…Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection can only be treated with limited antibiotics and needs long-term treatment ( 163 , 165–167 ). MRSA infection is zoonotic ( 168 ), and continuous antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance is very crucial to control the transmission of this strain from animal production to humans and vice versa ( 169 ). They may transfer resistance traits to S. aureus or other bacteria, resulting in the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains ( 94 , 135 ).…”

Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci as a cause of mastitis in domestic ruminants: current knowledge, advances, biomedical applications, and future perspectives – a systematic review

“…Antimicrobials are an important tool in mastitis control programs; therefore, surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility is important to ensure optimal results when using them and minimize the risk of resistance (Bowler et al 2020 ; Kizerwetter-Świda et al 2018 ). Staphylococci can express resistance to a range of antimicrobials, of which methicillin resistance is of public health concern (Crespi et al 2022 ; Fergestad et al 2021 ).…”

“…Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS) are more damaging due to the long-term treatments and limited drug options (Adkins et al 2018b ; Crespi et al 2022 ; Mahato et al 2017 ; Virdis et al 2010 ). Recent reports from different parts of the world revealed that MRS are an emerging cause of infection and a potent threat to the dairy industry and public health due to their zoonotic potential (Kizerwetter-Świda et al 2018 ; Windria et al 2016 ). The increased exposure to drugs and the use of antimicrobials in animal diseases represents a danger to human health whose impact and effect are not yet well characterized but may lead to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains, which makes antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance very crucial (Persson et al 2011 ).…”