Vet World Vol.18 February-2025 Article - 3
Research Article
Veterinary World, 18(2): 270-279
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.270-279
Molecular characterization and antimicrobial-resistance gene profile of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from ovine mastitis in Jordan
2. Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan.
3. Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 3030 Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
4. Institute of Food Quality and Food Safety, Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Background and Aim: Ovine mastitis, particularly subclinical mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, poses significant economic and health challenges in livestock management. This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial-resistance gene profiles of S. aureus isolated from subclinical mastitis in northern Jordan and assess the zoonotic potential of these isolates.
Materials and Methods: A total of 283 milk samples from ovines and 24 nasal swabs from animal handlers across three northern Jordanian governorates were analyzed. Bacterial isolates were identified phenotypically and genotypically, with antimicrobial susceptibility tested using disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assays. The presence of antimicrobial-resistance genes (ARGs) was analyzed through polymerase chain reaction, and genetic relatedness was determined using pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and spa typing.
Results: S. aureus was detected in 16 (6%) ovine milk samples and four nasal swab samples from animal handlers. High resistance rates were observed for penicillin G, oxacillin, and cefoxitin (25% each). ARGs, including mecA, blaZ, aph(3′)-III, and ant(4′)-Ia, were detected in 25% of isolates. PFGE revealed a high genetic similarity among isolates, while spa typing identified three types, with t1534 predominating (81.25%). Limited cross-transmission between ovines and handlers was noted.
Conclusion: The study highlights spa type t1534 as the dominant genotype in ovine mastitis in Jordan and underscores the low zoonotic transmission risk from ovines to animal handlers. The findings emphasize the importance of antimicrobial stewardship and enhanced mastitis management strategies.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, ovine mastitis, PFGE, spa typing, Staphylococcus aureus, zoonotic transmission.
How to cite this article: Gharaibeh MH, Mahafzah TA, Abu-Qatouseh LF, Khanfar M, and Abdulmawjood A (2025) Molecular characterization and antimicrobial-resistance gene profile of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from ovine mastitis in Jordan, Veterinary World, 18(2): 270–279.
Received: 2024-07-03 Accepted: 2024-12-27 Published online: 2025-02-13
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.270-279
Copyright: Gharaibeh, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
