Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in healthy horsesin Marvdasht city

Background and Aim : Nose is one of the most important sites of Staphylococcus aureuscolonization. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) populations are divided intothree groups: hospital-associated, community-associated, and livestock-associated (LA). LAMRSAis widely present among different livestock and mostly as an asymptomatic colonizer ofthe nose. In Iran, there is a few research on the colonization rate of S. aureus and MRSA in horses.The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of S. aureus colonization and MRSAin healthy horses in Marvdasht city.Methods : Nasal swab samples of ۸۰ healthy horses, belonging to ۲۳ farms, were collected overa period of ۷ months from Marvdasht city. By performing phenotypic methods (catalase, oxidase,mannitol sugar fermentation and coagulase tests) and PCR, S. aureus isolates were identified. Next,PCR was performed to check the presence of the mecA gene and determine methicillin-resistantstrains.Results : ۲۰ horses were carriers of S. aureus, although none of the S. aureus isolates were resistantto methicillin.Conclusion : It seems that the low density of the number of horses in the farms and the lack ofattendance and hospitalization in veterinary clinics and hospitals could be a reason for the absenceof methicillin-resistant strains.

کلیدواژه ها:

Staphylococcus aureus ، MRSA ، Horse ، Nasal colonization ، Iran