Antimicrobial resistance of coagulase-negative species of staphylococci isolated from the meat of wild pheasants (Phasianus colchicus)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine susceptibility of species-identified coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from the thigh muscles of hunted wild pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) to seven antibiotics (penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin, oxacillin, gentamicin, and vancomycin) with the help of agar dilution method. Genus confirmation of each isolate was based on the analysis of PCR product obtained from DNA target 16S ribosomal DNA. Species-identification of staphylococci was performed by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) based on bacterial protein profiling. From the results of this study it follows that 41 strains of CoNS were isolated from the meat of wild pheasants. The following species of staphylococci were identified by MALDI-TOF MS: S. epidermidis (17 strains), S. warneri (8 strains), S. haemolyticus (5 strains), S. hominis (4 strains), S. xylosus (3 strains), S. vitulinus (2 strains), S. pasteuri (1 strain) and S. arlettae (1 strain). Based on results of the agar dilution method, resistance to penicillin was detected most frequently (96.2%). On the contrary, 100% susceptibility to vancomycin was observed among isolates of CoNS. Moreover, each out of 41 isolates showed simultaneous resistance to at least two antibiotics tested.

Keywords

• Pheasant, Staphylococcus, Antimicrobial resistance, MALDI-TOF