<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0050_s_005">
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>The current study characterises <italic>Staphylococcus</italic> bacteria recovered from dead free-living birds and captive capercaillies kept in south-eastern Poland. The results provide novel information about the antimicrobial resistance phenotype/genotype and the virulence profile of these bacteria.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0050_s_006">
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>Samples of internal organs were taken from dead birds. <italic>Staphylococcus</italic> strains were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation–time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Susceptibility to 13 antibiotics was tested using a standard disc diffusion method on Mueller–Hinton agar. All isolates were screened for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and staphylococcal enterotoxins (A to E), toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, exfoliative toxins A and B and Panton–Valentine leukocidin.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0050_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>A total of 129 bacterial strains belonging to 19 species of the <italic>Staphylococcus</italic> genus were isolated. A relatively high percentage of them resisted fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides and β-lactams to a significant degree and harboured the <italic>tet</italic>K, <italic>tet</italic>M, <italic>erm</italic>C, <italic>mph</italic>C and <italic>mec</italic>A genes. Strains of the coagulase-negative <italic>S. sciuri</italic>, <italic>S. xylosus</italic> and <italic>S. cohnii</italic> were isolated with genes encoding enterotoxin A and toxic shock syndrome toxin.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0050_s_008">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from aviary capercaillies and free-living birds have significant pathogenic potential, and greater attention must be paid to the coagulase-negative species, which are still often considered mere contaminants. Virulence factors associated with resistance to antimicrobials, this being multiple in some strains, seem most important because they can be easily transferred between animals, especially those living in a given area.</p></sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
The current study characterises Staphylococcus bacteria recovered from dead free-living birds and captive capercaillies kept in south-eastern Poland. The results provide novel information about the antimicrobial resistance phenotype/genotype and the virulence profile of these bacteria.

Material and Methods
Samples of internal organs were taken from dead birds. Staphylococcus strains were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation–time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Susceptibility to 13 antibiotics was tested using a standard disc diffusion method on Mueller–Hinton agar. All isolates were screened for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and staphylococcal enterotoxins (A to E), toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, exfoliative toxins A and B and Panton–Valentine leukocidin.

Results
A total of 129 bacterial strains belonging to 19 species of the Staphylococcus genus were isolated. A relatively high percentage of them resisted fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides and β-lactams to a significant degree and harboured the tetK, tetM, ermC, mphC and mecA genes. Strains of the coagulase-negative S. sciuri, S. xylosus and S. cohnii were isolated with genes encoding enterotoxin A and toxic shock syndrome toxin.

Conclusion
Both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from aviary capercaillies and free-living birds have significant pathogenic potential, and greater attention must be paid to the coagulase-negative species, which are still often considered mere contaminants. Virulence factors associated with resistance to antimicrobials, this being multiple in some strains, seem most important because they can be easily transferred between animals, especially those living in a given area.

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in staphylococci isolated from aviary capercaillies and free-living birds in south-eastern Poland

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction
The current study characterises Staphylococcus bacteria recovered from dead free-living birds and captive capercaillies kept in south-eastern...

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in staphylococci isolated from aviary capercaillies and free-living birds in south-eastern Poland

Published Online: Sep 15, 2022

Page range: 361 - 372

Received: Mar 23, 2022

Accepted: Sep 07, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0050

Keywords
free-living birds, methicillin-resistant, antimicrobial resistance genes, enterotoxigenicity, toxic shock syndrome toxin

© 2022 M. Sulikowska et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in staphylococci isolated from aviary capercaillies and free-living birds in south-eastern Poland

Published Online: Sep 15, 2022

Page range: 361 - 372

Received: Mar 23, 2022

Accepted: Sep 07, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0050

Keywordsfree-living birds, methicillin-resistant, antimicrobial resistance genes, enterotoxigenicity, toxic shock syndrome toxin

© 2022 M. Sulikowska et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
free-living birds, methicillin-resistant, antimicrobial resistance genes, enterotoxigenicity, toxic shock syndrome toxin