Antibiotic resistance may spread between types of staphylococcus

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That was one of the conclusions drawn by Dr Jeonghwa Park at her presentation during the International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress, held in Vancouver, BC, Canada, from 18-21 July.

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She spoke about the research of her team at the University of Guelph, ON, Canada, to Staphylococcus hyicus – a variety known to cause exudative epidermitis, also known as greasy pig disease. Other scientists on the team were Robert Friendship, Cate Dewey, Scott Weese and Zvonimir Poljak.

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A different type of staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, is known for sometimes being resistent to antibiotics, referred to then as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). It is widely discussed as to whether this type of staphylococcus may or may not have obtained its antibiotic resistance through medication use in livestock.

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A survey at 30 farms in Ontario, Canada, using injectible antibiotics (tetracycline) to treat EE, focused on the presence of a mecA gene, which determines the extent of antimicrobial resistance. Park observed: “…all isolates from cases of EE were shown to be resistant to not only penicillin but in most cases resistant to the entire family of beta-lactam antibiotics. These results explain why farmers reported a poor response to treatment of EE.”

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Park concluded that treatment of greasy pig disease is thus a problem as a consequence of widespread antibiotic resistance.

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Since MRSA is widespread at Ontario farms, she added, that possibly antibiotic resistance determinants (genetic material) are spreading between S. hyicus and S. aureus.

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