dc.description.abstract | Increasing numbers of potentially zoonotic multidrug-resistant (MDR) staphylococci
strains, associated with mastitis in dairy cows, are being reported globally and threaten disease
management in both animal and human health. However, the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance
profiles of these strains, including methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS), in Kenya is not well
known. This study investigated the drug resistance profiles and genes carried by 183 staphylococci
isolates from 142 dairy cows representing 93 farms recovered from mastitis milk of dairy cows in two
selected counties in Kenya. Staphylococci isolates were characterized by phenotypic characteristics,
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, partial sequencing and susceptibility testing for
10 antimicrobial drugs. Detection of seven resistance genes to the various antimicrobial drugs was
conducted using PCR. Overall, phenotypic resistance among the staphylococci ranged between
66.1% for ampicillin and 3.5% for fluoroquinolones. Twenty-five percent (25%) of S. aureus and 10.8%
of the coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates, were methicillin-resistant staphylococci
phenotypically (defined as resistance to cefoxitin disk diffusion). The most common genes found in
S. aureus and CoNS were blaZ and strB at 44.3% and 26%, and 78% and 50%, respectively. MDR was
observed in 29.67% and 16.3% of S. aureus and CoNS, respectively. These findings pose a threat to
bovine mastitis treatment and management as well as human health. | en_US |