Species Identification and Antimicrobial Resistance of Coagulase‐Negative Staphylococci Isolated from the Meat of Sea Fish

Abstract

Seventy-eight isolates of staphylococci obtained from the meat of Theragra chalcogramma, Scomber scombrus, and Clupea harengus were identified and tested in this study. 16S rDNA sequence specific for the genus Staphylococcus was detected in all isolates with the help of PCR method. All of 78 isolates were coagulase-negative, and DNAse activity was only confirmed in 4 of them. The following species of staphylococci were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry: S. warneri (52%), S. epidermidis (33%), S. haemolyticus (6.4%), S. pasteuri (3.8%), S. sciuri (1.2%), S. capitis (1.2%), and S. hominis (1.2%). Antimicrobial resistance to 7 antibiotics was determined in each isolate with the help of agar dilution method. In general, resistance against ampicillin was observed in majority of isolates (87%). On the contrary, the best sensitivity of CoNS was determined to gentamicin (96%). Only 1 S. warneri strain showed resistance to cefoxitin. Furthermore, 83% of staphylococcal isolates were simultaneously resistant to 2 or more antibiotics. This study confirmed the need of monitoring antimicrobial resistance in coagulase-negative staphylococci not only in the meat of slaughter animals but also in retail marine fish. The results showed that MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is useful, accurate, and rapid method for species identification of food pathogens including Staphylococcus spp.