title: Antimicrobial resistance determinants in Staphylococcus spp. recovered from birds of prey in Portugal.
abstract: Antibiotic resistance among wild animals represent an emerging public health concern. The objective of this study was to analyze the staphylococcal nasal microbiota in birds of prey and their content in antimicrobial resistance determinants. Nasal samples from 16 birds of prey were collected, swabs were dipped and incubated into BHI broth [6.5% NaCl] and later seeded on manitol salt agar and oxacillin-resistance screening agar base media. Staphylococcal colonies were isolated from both media and were identified by biochemical and molecular methods. Susceptibility testing to 18 antimicrobial agents was performed by disk-diffusion method. Six of the 16 tested animals carried staphylococci (37.5%) and 7 isolates of the following species were recovered: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus sciuri rodentium, Staphylococcus cohnii urealitycum, and Staphylococcus gallinarum. The S. aureus isolate was penicillin-resistant (with blaZ gene) but methicillin-susceptible and was ascribed to spa-type t012, sequence-type ST30 and agr-type III. The S. epidermidis isolate carried blaZ, mecA, mrs(A/B), mphC, tet(K), drfA, and fusC genes, ica operon, and was typed as ST35. The genes ant6'-Ia, tet(K), tet(L), dfrG, cat221, cat194, and cat223 were detected in S. saprophyticus or S. gallinarum isolates. Birds of prey seem to be a natural reservoir of S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci resistant to multiple antibiotics. Due to the convergence between habitats, the contact between wildlife, other animals and humans is now more common and this involves an increased possibility of interchange of these microorganisms in the different ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology (IBB-CGB), UTAD, Portugal; Department of Food and Agriculture (FCEAI), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain; National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology (IBB-CGB), UTAD, Portugal.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Igrejas
authors.affiliation: Wild birds' Recovering Center (CRAS), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Wild birds' Recovering Center (CRAS), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sargo
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alegria
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Agriculture (FCEAI), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Agriculture (FCEAI), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Agriculture (FCEAI), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Agriculture (FCEAI), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Sanz
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Agriculture (FCEAI), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caniça
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal. Electronic address: ppoeta@utad.pt.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology*; D052978:Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011174:Portugal; D020304:Raptors / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D008712:Methicillin; D010068:Oxacillin
keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Birds of prey; Coagulase-negative staphylococci; S. aureus; S. epidermidis; ica operon