Genotypic characterization of Staphylococcus hyicus strains from swine isolated in the last 30 years

Abstract

Staphylococcus hyicus is the causative agent of exsudative epidermitis in swine. This disease affects animals from all pig producing countries and has large prevalence in Brazil. Studies evaluating the occurrence of this agent in our country are from decades of 70 and 80. Since then there are no more evaluations referring the presence of exfoliative toxins, antimicrobial resistance and phenotypic and genotypic profiles of national isolates. The present study proposes the characterization of S. hyicus isolates from swine with exsudative epidermitis signs and without signs of disease, originated from a collection of 30 year and recently isolated strains. The strains will be characterizated and compared in relation to carbon sources utilization, biochemical tests, antimicrobial resistance, exfoliative toxin genes, and genotypic characterization through pulsed field electrophoresis (PFGE) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). The results obtained will offer a better knowledge about spread of this bacterial specie in our environment, besides the evaluation of genotypic and resistance changes occurred in the last three decades. (AU)