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Characteristics of drug-resistant staphylococci isolated from milk of lambed ewes during the perinatal period

Agata Hahaj-Siembida

Agata Hahaj-Siembida

Lublin, Poland
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Hahaj-Siembida, Agata
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Aneta Nowakiewicz

Aneta Nowakiewicz

Lublin, Poland
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Nowakiewicz, Aneta
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Monika Greguła-Kania

Monika Greguła-Kania

Department of Animal Breeding and Agricultural Advisory, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life SciencesLublin, Poland
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Greguła-Kania, Monika
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Mariola Bochniarz

Mariola Bochniarz

Lublin, Poland
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Bochniarz, Mariola
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Aleksandra Trościańczyk

Aleksandra Trościańczyk

Lublin, Poland
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Trościańczyk, Aleksandra
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Marcelina Osińska

Marcelina Osińska

Lublin, Poland
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Osińska, Marcelina
  
Mar 25, 2025
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Published Online: Mar 25, 2025
Page range: 41 - 50
Received: Aug 01, 2024
Accepted: Mar 13, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2025-0014
Keywords
© 2025 Agata Hahaj-Siembida et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Introduction

Staphylococci are still a challenge in veterinary medicine, as they are one of the aetiological factors causing clinical and subclinical mastitis in small ruminants. The aim of the study was to analyse the occurrence of staphylococci in milk obtained from Świniarka (SW) and Uhruska (UHR) sheep and to characterise their drug resistance and virulence.

Material and Methods

In total, 50 milk samples were collected from ewes seven days after parturition. Drug susceptibility analysis was performed based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards and demonstration of the presence of resistance genes was attempted.

Results

Staphylococcus spp. strains were identified in 70% of the samples, and 57.2% of the strains were S. aureus. Most of the tested strains (88.6%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin was the dominant type in S. aureus strains. Coagulase-negative species (CoNS) exhibited resistance predominantly to penicillin, cefoxitin and tetracycline (86.6%, 73.3% and 46.6%, respectively).The presence of the mecC gene was detected in four cefoxitin resistant strains. In tetracycline- and chloramphenicol-resistant strains, phenotypic and genotypic resistance was statistically significantly more common among strains isolated from UHR than SW.

Conclusion

The present study highlights the problem of potential subclinical mastitis caused by drug-resistant strains of S. aureus and other CoNS species in lambed ewes. However, the occurrence of virulence factors in these strains is very rare.
Language:
English
Publication timeframe:
4 times per year
Journal Subjects:
Life Sciences, Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Virology, Life Sciences, other, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine
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