Molecular detection of multidrug and methicillin resistance in isolated from wild pigeons () in South Africa.

is an important human and veterinary pathogen. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among isolated from samples obtained from free-flying wild pigeons and houseflies from different locations surrounding a local hospital in the Greater Durban area in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Environmental fecal samples were obtained from wild pigeons that inhabits the grounds of a local public hospital located on the South Beach area, Durban, South Africa. Housefly samples were collected from three different locations (Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve, Montclair/Clairwood, and Glenwood/Berea) in the greater Durban area, all within a close proximity to the hospital. Following enrichment, identification, and antimicrobial resistance profiling, isolates were subjected to DNA extraction using the boiling method. It was found that 57 out of 252 samples (22.62%) were positive for . The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method of antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed and revealed that antibiotic resistance rates to penicillin and rifampicin were the most common, with both returning 48 (84.2%) out of the 57  isolates being resistant to penicillin and rifampicin. Antibiotic resistance rates to clindamycin, linezolid, erythromycin, tetracycline, cefoxitin, and ciprofloxacin were 82.5%, 78.9%, 73.7%, 63.2%, 33.3%, and 15.8% respectively. Antibiotic resistance genes were detected using primer-specific PCR and it was found that the prevalence rates of , and genes were 66.7%, 40.4%, 40.4%, 38.6%, 24.6%, and 3.51% respectively. Statistical analysis revealed significant ( < 0.05) relationships between the and genes and all parameters tested. A significant correlation between the gene and the (0.506) and (-0.386) genes was identified. It was found that 23 (40.3%) isolates were  positive, of which 10 (52.6%) out of 19 cefoxitin-resistant isolates were  positive and 13 (35.1%) out of 37 cefoxitin-sensitive isolates were  positive. The results of the present study demonstrated the detection of methicillin and multidrug resistant isolated from samples obtained from wild pigeons and houseflies in the surroundings of a local public hospital in the Greater Durban area in South Africa. The findings of the study may account for the emergence of multidrug-resistant staphylococcal infections. The findings highlight the significant role of wild pigeons and houseflies in the spread of drug-resistant pathogenic including MRSA. The conclusions of the present study highlight the improtant role of wildlife and the environment as interconnected contributors of .