Molecular characterization and phylogeny of Staphylococci from white tail deer, Odocoileus virginianus, in Western New York

Abstract

Staphylococcus is a prevalent and versatile bacterium found in many different settings, from numerous animal hosts in the environment to healthcare facilities in the community. It has become very successful in establishing itself as a commensal in various humans and animals. Concern over this bacterium has increased due to the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between strains. This study specifically investigated the prevalence of Staph from the nasal passages of white tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, in Western New York. This source of bacteria is unique in that it should not be under direct influence of antibiotic use. DNA was isolated from strains of Staph from the deer, and PCR was performed to amplify a region of the 16s rRNA gene and a number of genetic markers used for multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) for DNA sequence analysis. Tentative phylogenetic relationships of these bacterial strains were made to previously characterized type strains of Staphylococcus. The use of MLST and 16s rRNA gene sequence deserve analysis with respect to their broad applicability beyond the strains typically found associated with humans and agriculture.