Foti Maria, Fisichella Vittorio, Giacopello Cristina
Department of Veterinary Public Health, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Vet Ophthalmol. 2013 Mar;16(2):89-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01028.x. Epub 2012 Apr 23.
To describe the bacterial flora present in the normal conjunctiva of donkeys from Sicily (Italy).
A total of 46 healthy donkeys housed in 3 locations within the territory of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) were studied. Donkeys ranged from 2 to 13 years of age, with a median age of 6 years.
Forty-six conjunctival swabs were obtained from both eyes of each animal, and specimens were cultured for aerobic bacteria. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of methicillin (1 μg) and oxacillin (5 μg) on Staphylococcus spp. isolates was evaluated, and a specific PCR assay, which allows the detection of mecA gene specific for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, was performed.
Forty of 46 (86.9%) donkeys were positive for bacteria. Eighty bacterial isolates, representing 9 bacteria genera, were successfully cultured. The most frequently recovered bacterial genus was Staphylococcus (52/80 isolates; 65%). Several strains (20/80 isolates; 25%) belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family were also isolated, among which the most frequently isolated genus was Enterobacter (eight isolates). Of the 52 Staphylococcus spp. isolates, 14 (26.9%) strains were oxacillin/methicillin resistant. The mecA gene was detected in 6/52 (11.5%) strains.
This study contributes to the knowledge about normal ocular flora and MRSA occurrence in donkey farms in Sicily.
描述意大利西西里岛驴正常结膜中的细菌菌群。
对意大利西西里岛巴勒莫地区3个地点饲养的46头健康驴进行了研究。驴的年龄在2至13岁之间，中位年龄为6岁。
从每头动物的双眼采集46份结膜拭子，并对标本进行需氧菌培养。此外，评估了甲氧西林（1μg）和苯唑西林（5μg）对葡萄球菌属分离株的抗菌活性，并进行了一项特异性PCR检测，该检测可检测耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）菌株特有的mecA基因。
46头驴中有40头（86.9%）细菌检测呈阳性。成功培养出80株细菌分离株，代表9个细菌属。最常分离到的细菌属是葡萄球菌（52/80株；65%）。还分离出了几株（20/80株；25%）属于肠杆菌科的菌株，其中最常分离到的属是肠杆菌（8株）。在52株葡萄球菌属分离株中，14株（26.9%）对苯唑西林/甲氧西林耐药。在其中6/52（11.5%）的菌株中检测到了mecA基因。
本研究有助于了解西西里岛驴场正常眼内菌群及MRSA的发生情况。
