Occurrence of Staphylococcus piscifermentans among Apparently Healthy Ruminants and Their Handlers in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus pisifermentans nasal colonization among apparently healthy ruminants and their handlers in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. A total of six hundred and five (605) samples were collected aseptically using sterile swab sticks (Oxoid, UK) using simple random technique from the ruminants and their human handlers at the Maiduguri central abattoir and livestock market (Kasuwan shanu). One hundred and fifty-one (151) samples were collected from each of the species (cattle, sheep and goat) while 152 samples were collected from animal handlers. The samples were immediately subjected to standard bacteriological analysis. A total of 195 (32.2%) coagulase negative Staphylococcus species (CoNS) were presumptively identified, out of the 195 identified CoNS, 9 (4.62%) was Staphylococcus pisifermentans nasal colonization. The results revealed that out of 9 isolates, S. pisifermentans was highly isolated 4(8.3%) from sheep, followed by cattle and human handlers 2 (3.8%) respectively and the least was from goats 1 (2.3%). Meanwhile, all the 9 (4.62%) isolates were negative for both tube and slide coagulase test. However, they were positive for DNase, Omithine Decarboxylase (ODC) test, betta – hemolysis and synergistic hemolysis. 4(44.4%) of the 9 isolates were positive for Staphylococcus Protein A (SPA) virulence gene, none 0(0%) for mecA virulence gene, and 5(55.6%) were positive for slime (Biofilm) production. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of these isolate was found to be highly variable to all the used drugs. It is therefore concluded that Staphylococcus pisifermentans isolated from these ruminants and their handlers contain virulence genes which could be responsible for pathogenicity. There is need for more studies using higher technologies in other parts of the country to reveal the through status of the disease in Nigeria.