ISSN 2756-3413
African Journal of Virology Research ISSN 2756-3413 Vol. 17 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2023. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Identification and Enumeration of Staphylococci species isolated from Livestock in North-eastern Nigeria
Mamza SA1,3, Geidam YA1, Mshelia GD2, Egwu GO1
1Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P. O. Box, 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
2Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, University of Maiduguri, P. O. Box, 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
3Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, Leahurst Campus, University of Liverpool.
Accepted 28 September, 2022
Abstract
Identification and enumeration of pathogens is a vital tool for disease detection and control, as well as, for risk assessment in both humans and animals. This paper reports the identification and enumeration of some Staphylococci species in livestock in north-eastern Nigeria. A total of 1,320 samples comprising blood, lung, trachea, nostril, and cloacae, aseptically collected from livestock in some parts of north-eastern Nigeria between April 2013 and January 2014, were inoculated onto culture media for isolation of staphylococci. Isolates were characterized by Gram stain, and biochemical tests including catalase, coagulase, and staphylase. Ribosomal and DNA-binding proteins extracted from some representative isolates of the presumptive staphylococci using ethanol, formic acid, and acetonitrile, were characterized by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), using MALDI Biotyper developed by Bruker Daltonik (Germany). Isolates were subjected to antimicrobial resistance test using disk diffusion test method. Out of 28 picked-up Isolates characterized, S. aureus (28.6%), S. sciuri (32.0%), S. simulans (14.3%), S. cohnii (7.0%), S. hyicus (3.6%), and Enterococcus faecalis (3.6%) were identified; whilst 10.7% of the isolates were not reliable identification (NRI). All the species isolated were found to exhibit multiple antimicrobial resistances: tetracycline, penicillin, and ampicillin resistances were most commonly observed. Livestock in north-eastern Nigeria were found to harbour staphylococci commonly isolated from humans; implying a grave danger of pathogen cross-transmission. MALDI-TOF-MS used in this study was the first in animal studies from Nigeria, and appeared to be a very useful tool for rapid and accurate characterization of staphylococci to specific species level.
Keywords: Staphylococci, Enumeration, Livestock, Nigeria, Antimicrobial, Resistance, MALDI-TOF-MS.