title: Prevalence and Risk Factors of Colonization withStaphylococcus aureusin Healthy Pet Cats Kept in the City Households.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus,especially methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA), is a significant pathogen in both human medicine and veterinary medicine. The importance of pets as reservoirs of human infections is still poorly understood. This article provides detailed information of a cross-sectional study of aS. aureuscolonization in clinically healthy indoor cats. The study systematically assessed a number of different anatomical locations for theS. aureuscolonization and the influence of a range of potential risk factors on the value of the finalS. aureuscolonization rate. The incidence rates observed for cats with at least one site positive forS. aureusor MRSA were 17.5% and 6.63%, respectively. The following risk factors were identified: one or more owners working in the healthcare industry (human or veterinary); dogs being kept with the cat under investigation; treatment of the cat under investigation with antibiotics or chemotherapeutics during the previous year. In conclusion, this study revealed a higher prevalence of MRSA than what has previously been reported in healthy pets. A combination of anatomical locations from which the samples were collected had a major influence on the final value of theS. aureuscolonization rate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Administration, Department of Epizootiology with Clinic of Birds and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7663-4312
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bierowiec
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Administration, Department of Epizootiology with Clinic of Birds and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Płoneczka-Janeczko
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Administration, Department of Epizootiology with Clinic of Birds and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rypuła
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004285:Dogs; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D057805:Pets / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D000078329:Workforce