Staphylococci in animals: prevalence, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility, with an emphasis on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococci form part of the normal flora of man and a wide variety of animals. Some staphylococcal species also cause a wide variety of pyogenic infections. The main pathogenic staphylococcus in man is Staphylococcus aureus. Increasingly, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has been a problem in the healthcare setting. Reports of MRSA in animals have been infrequent; however, evidence suggests that MRSA is being isolated increasingly from animals, in particular household pets and other companion animals. This article reviews the prevalence of pathogenic staphylococci in animals, with an emphasis on the emergence of MRSA as a possible animal pathogen.