Investigation of methicillin and antiseptic resistance genes in stapylococcus aureus isolated from bovine, sheep and goat milk

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequently isolated pathogens as the causative agent of mastitis from farm animals. S. aureus, which rapidly develops resistance to antibiotics, also develops resistance to antiseptics and disinfectants. They cause significant problems because they can transfer resistance genes to both their own species and other bacteria. In this study, it was aimed to genotypicly confirm the colonies identified as S. aureus by PCR using phenotypic tests from milk samples collected from cattle, sheep and goats in Burdur province and surrounding villages, to detect methicillin and antiseptic resistance genes and to examine antibiotic sensitivities. For this purpose, 694 milk samples were collected from 257 animals (90 cattle, 107 goats, 60 sheep) from farms with mastitis problems. 75 isolates were identified as S. aureus by phenotypic tests (Gram staining, catalase, coagulase, mannitol salt agar, DNase), and 60 were confirmed as S. aureus by PCR using nuc gene-specific primers. The presence of methicillin (mecA, mecC) and antiseptic (qacA/B, smr) resistance genes in these isolates was investigated by PCR. While the mecA gene was detected in only 1 isolate, the mecC gene was not detected in S. aureus isolates. The qacA/B gene was detected in 3 of the S. aureus isolates and the smr gene was detected in 2 of them. As a result of the antibiotic susceptibility tests, 24 of the 60 isolates identified as phenotypically S. aureus 24 were cefquinoma, 21 were penicillin, 9 were ampicillin sulbactam, 7 were oxytetracycline, 6 were amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, 3 were ceftiofura, 2 were oxacillin, 1 was found to be resistant to cefoperazone and 1 to cefoxitin. As a result, with this study, it was concluded that methicillin and antiseptic resistance genes were detected at a low rate in S. aureus isolates, and that methicillin and antiseptic resistance genes were not yet a problem in Burdur province and surrounding villages, but that this bacterium may be important for public health due to its zoonotic bloom.