Emergence of A Novel Disease Caused by Staphylococcus Pseudintermedius in Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Abstract

This study reports outbreak of a new disease caused by Staphylococcus Pseudintermedius in Raccoon dogs. The disease occurred in a breeding farm of raccoon dogs in Guan County of Shandong Province in China in August of 2019. 47% (425/896) of raccoon dogs showed the abnormal symptoms; 17.6% (75/425) of them had sever skin and soft tissue infections(SSTIs), dyspnea and sever pathological lesions in lungs, hearts, livers, kidneys, etc; 4.2% (18/425) were dead in 4 weeks. The pathogen of the disease was identified as Staphylococcus pseudintermedius by mass spectrometer detection, microscopic examination and biochemical reaction test. Its nucleotide homology of 16SrDNA was 100% with thats of other published strains and its genotype was between American strain and Brazilian strain from other animal species. The isolated Staphylococcus pseudointermediate strain from the diseased raccoon dogs could cause ulceration and suppuration in the skins and sever pathological lesions in some organs of the infected mice, and it is confirmed as a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) strain by the amplification of mecA gene; and 12 sensitive drugs were screened by drug sensitivity test. Full attention should be paid to the great economic loss and the potential zoonotic risk caused by the Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in raccoon dogs, and this study can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this new disease.