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Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of staphylococci isolated from saliva of clinically normal cats
Author(s) -
Lilenbaum W.,
Esteves A. L.,
Souza G. N.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2672.1999.00540.x
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , penicillin , coagulase , biology , gentamicin , tetracycline , cats , staphylococcus , antimicrobial , antibiotics , saliva , antibiotic resistance , staphylococcus aureus , medicine , bacteria , biochemistry , genetics
Samples were collected from 150 adult cats, processed for isolation of Staphylococcus species and tested for susceptibility to penicillin G, gentamicin, oxacillin, enrofloxin and tetracycline. Methicillin resistance was also determined. One hundred and four isolates were obtained (69·3% of samples). Coagulase‐negative species were most common, and the most frequently isolated (33 samples) species was Staph. felis . Other coagulase‐negative species, such as Staph. haemolyticus, Staph. simulans, Staph. epidermidis and Staph. saprophyticus were also isolated. Coagulase‐positive staphylococci were obtained from 30 cats, and the only species recovered in this group was Staph. intermedius . Resistance to antibiotics was frequently observed, with 68·2% of the isolates showing resistance to at least one drug. Resistance to Penicillin G was observed in 68 of the 104 isolates (65·4%), 23 samples were resistant to oxacillin (22·1%), 33 to tetracycline (31·7%) and 24 to enrofloxin (23·1%). Gentamicin was the most active antimicrobial agent. The role of these micro‐organisms in the saliva of cats is discussed.