Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius in dogs and cats
By A. Loeffler et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology (Print)·2007·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: First report of multiresistant, mecA-positive Staphylococcus intermedius in Europe: 12 cases from a veterinary dermatology referral clinic in Germany.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 11 dogs and one cat were brought to a veterinary dermatology clinic in Germany due to skin and ear infections that weren't responding to common antibiotics. Tests revealed that the infections were caused by a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus intermedius, which had become resistant to multiple antibiotics. To treat these stubborn infections, the pets received a combination of topical and systemic antibiotics, along with treatment for any underlying issues. Most of the animals showed improvement, with 10 dogs and the cat recovering fully.
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Abstract
Resistance to cephalosporins and/or fluoroquinolones by Staphylococcus intermedius has remained low in Europe, with effective drugs generally available for systemic therapy in pets. However, multiresistant, mecA-positive S. intermedius isolated from dogs and cats is now emerging in Europe. Twelve S. intermedius isolates, highly resistant to at least five antimicrobial classes, were isolated from skin and ear infections in 11 dogs and a cat. The 12 isolates represented 23% of all S. intermedius submissions from one veterinary dermatology referral clinic in northern Germany to veterinary diagnostic laboratories during an 18-month period and resistance included cefalexin, methicillin and enrofloxacin. The animals had been referred to the clinic with recurrent superficial pyoderma, deep pyoderma, pododermatitis or chronic otitis, all unresponsive to systemic beta-lactam-antibiotics or fluoroquinolones. Infection resolved in 10 dogs and the cat on a combination of antimicrobial treatment and correction of underlying causes. Four dogs and a cat required systemic and topical therapy; in six dogs topical antimicrobial therapy alone was successful. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the S. intermedius isolates were determined; species identification was confirmed by polymerase chain detection of thermonuclease genes (nuc) and the presence and expression of the gene conferring resistance to all beta-lactam antibiotics (mecA) were demonstrated in all; based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, six were indistinguishable, the others closely or possibly related. The emergence of multiresistant, mecA-positive S. intermedius in Europe is alarming. Zoonotic implications, awareness among veterinary laboratories and strategies for the use of antimicrobials in small animal practice need to be considered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/17991158