Antimicrobials are commonly used therapeutically for humans and their pets. As humans and pets have a close relationship, there is a risk of interspecies transmission of antibiotic resistance (AMR) among bacteria. In Sri Lanka, limited research has been conducted on AMR related to pets. The aim of this study was to identify AMR in Staphylococcus spp. associated with skin conditions of dogs presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Peradeniya, from January 2019 to August 2021. Two hundred and five skin swabs were collected from dogs diagnosed with pyoderma and skin wounds using standardized protocols. Staphylococci were isolated using standardized microbial culture procedures and were further tested for coagulase activity and antimicrobial susceptibility against 9 clinically important antimicrobials using the disc diffusion method. The isolation rate of Staphylococci from patients was 87.8% (180/205). Resistance to penicillin (74.7%) was the highest, followed by erythromycin and clindamycin (~50% each). Among the isolates that expressed multidrug resistance (MDR; 94/171; 55%), 61 different MDR patterns were found. Methicillin resistance was identified in 49% of MDR staphylococci isolates. Coagulase-positive methicillin-resistant (22%; 36/164) and coagulase-negative methicillin-resistant (17.1%; 28/164) isolates were cultured and differentiated. In conclusion, there is evidence of a high proportion of AMR and MDR among Staphylococcus spp. isolates associated with skin conditions affecting dogs in central Sri Lanka. Findings emphasize the potential risk of treatment failure with empirical antimicrobial therapy and the need to establish prudent guidelines for the use of antimicrobials in dogs with skin conditions presented to veterinarians in Sri Lanka.
Silva et al. (Wed,) studied this question.