DISTRIBUTION OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL SPECIES ON CLINICALLY HEALTHY CATS

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 46  (9) , 1824-1828
Abstract
Among 827 isolates derived from 113 clinically healthy cats, 12 species of staphylococci were identified. Staphylococci were isolated from each cat and from 54.9% of the anatomic sites evaluated. A mode of 6 (range = 2 to 11) of the 11 anatomic sites evaluated per cat yielded staphylococci. A mode of 8 (range = 2 to 12) isolates were found per cat. Staphylococcus simulans was the most isolated (43.9% of total) coagulase-negative species. Moreover, S. simulans was the most isolated species from each of the 11 sites evaluated and, except for the mouth and haircoat, comprised > 50% of the isolates from each site. Staphylococcus intermedius was the most isolated (13.5% of the total) coagulase-positive species. Three other species (S. epidermidis, S. xylosus, and S. aureus) comprised 32.2% of the isolates, and 7 species (S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, S. hyicus, S. capitis, S. warneri, and S. saprophyticus) comprised 10.4% of the isolates. Six species (S. intermedius [96 of 112 isolates], S. haemolyticus [20 of 22], S. sciuri [17 of 18], S. warneri [10 of 13], S. hyicus [10 of 10], and S. capitis [7 of 8]) were isolated primarily from household cats. Only 1 species, S. xylosus (75 of 87), was isolated primarily from cattery cats. Haircoat specimens (n = 452) yielded 508 isolates (61.4% of the total) distributed among all 12 staphylococcal species and included > 50% of the isolates of all species other than S. simulans and S. sciuri. A more heterogenous population of staphylococci was isolated from household cats than was isolated from cattery cats.