Isolation and species distribution of staphylococci from animal and human skin.
From April 1999 to December 2000, a survey was made on the distribution of Staphylococcus species on the skin of 7 kinds of animals and humans. Staphylococci were isolated from 12 (100%) of 12 pigs, 17 (89.5%) of 19 horses, 30 (100%) of 30 cows, 73 (90.1%) of 81 chickens, 10 (40%) of 25 dogs, 23 (76.7%) of 30 laboratory mice, 20 (52.6%) of 38 pigeons, and 80 (88.9%) of 90 human beings. The predominant staphylococci isolated from a variety of animal species were novobiocin-resistant species, S. xylosus and S. sciuri regardless of the animal host species. The novobiocin-resistant species including S. xylosus and S. sciuri were only occasionally isolated from human skin. The predominant staphylococci found on human skin were novobiocin-sensitive species, S. epidermidis (63.8%), followed by S. warneri (28.8%) and S. hominis (13.8%). The results suggest that the staphylococcal flora inhabiting animal skin are different from those of human skin in regard to the predominant species isolated. In this study, we used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to examine the chromosomal polymorphisms of S. epidermidis isolated most frequently from human skin. Strains of S. epidermidis showed the greatest genomic diversity in their fragment patterns.
Nagase
Naoko
N
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan.
Sasaki
Asako
A
Yamashita
Kenji
K
Shimizu
Akira
A
Wakita
Yoshihisa
Y
Kitai
Satoru
S
Kawano
Junichi
J
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000737:chemistry; D004285:Dogs / Q000382:microbiology; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006736:Horses / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013552:Swine / Q000382:microbiology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C025651:CCCGGG-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific