Occurrence of Staphylococcus piscifermentans among Apparently Healthy Ruminants and Their Handlers in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus piscifermentans nasal colonization among apparently healthy ruminants and their handlers in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. A total of six hundred and five (605) samples were collected aseptically using sterile swab sticks (Oxoid, UK) using a simple random technique from the ruminants and their human handlers at the Maiduguri central abattoir and livestock market (Kasuwan shanu). One hundred and fifty-one (151) samples were collected from each species (cattle, sheep and goat), while 152 samples were collected from animal handlers. The samples were immediately subjected to standard bacteriological analysis. A total of 195 (32.2%) coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (CoNS) were presumptively identified; out of the 195 identified CoNS, 9 (4.62%) was Staphylococcus piscifermentans nasal colonization. The results revealed that out of 9 isolates, S. piscifermentans was highly isolated 4(8.3%) from sheep, followed by cattle and human handlers 2 (3.8%) respectively, and the least was from goats 1 (2.3%). Meanwhile, all the 9 (4.62%) isolates were negative for both tube and slide coagulase test. However, they were positive for DNase, Ornithine Decarboxylase (ODC) test, betta – hemolysis and synergistic hemolysis. 4(44.4%) of the 9 isolates were positive for Staphylococcus Protein A (SPA) virulence gene, none 0(0%) for mecA virulence gene, and 5(55.6%) were positive for slime (Biofilm) production. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of these isolates was found to be highly variable to all the used drugs. Therefore, it is concluded that Staphylococcus piscifermentans isolated from these ruminants and their handlers contain virulence genes that could be responsible for pathogenicity. There is a need for more studies using higher technologies in other parts of the country to reveal the thorough status of the disease in Nigeria.

Keywords

• handlers
• occurrence
• piscifermentans
• ruminants
• susceptibility profiles