Isolation and Evaluation of the Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile of Staphylococcus aureus from Healthy Slaughterhouse Workers
Maria Anto Dani Nishanth
*
Animal Disease Intelligence Unit, Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, India.
Sumi Princess C
Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai-7, India.
Felcit Blessy James
Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai-7, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This study was undertaken to isolate and evaluate the antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of Staphylococcus aureus from the healthy Slaughterhouse workers.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from various slaughterhouses of the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu between December 2024- July 2025.
Methodology: 50 nasal swabs were randomly collected from the healthy slaughterhouse workers of various places and processed for isolation of S. aureus using the standard (ISO 6888-1, 1999) procedure by enrichment in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), followed by streaking in Mannitol salt agar (MSA). Then the presumptive isolates were stained and confirmed molecularly by species-specific PCR targeting the nuc gene. Then the PCR confirmed isolates were evaluated for their coagulase production, by specific PCR targeting the Coa gene. Finally, the characterized isolates were tested for their antibiotic sensitivity profile by following CLSI guidelines in the standard disc diffusion method.
Results: Among the 50 nasal swabs processed for isolation, 6 samples (12% prevalence rate) showed typical presumptive colony morphology in selective media, and all those were confirmed as S. aureus by species-specific PCR targeting the nuc gene. Further, all six isolates were confirmed to be positive for coagulase production by specific PCR targeting the Coa gene. Finally, all six characterized isolates were resistant to multiple groups of antibiotics, viz. Ampicillin, Penicillin, Chloramphenicol, Clindamycin, Gentamicin, and Ofloxacin in in vitro antibiotic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusion: This alarming threat of increasing antimicrobial resistance pattern of S. aureus pathogen warrants in-depth research and education to overcome the problems in the future to save the lives of patients.
Keywords: Staphylococcus, slaughterhouse, coagulase, antimicrobial resistance