Direct repeat unit (dru) typing and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from dogs in Atlantic Canada

There are few reports investigating the characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) in dogs in Canada and none from Atlantic Canada. The objectives of this study were to strain type MRSP isolates cultured at a regional diagnostic laboratory using direct repeat unit (dru) typing and to describe their antimicrobial resistance profiles. Ninety-four isolates recovered from dogs between 2010 and 2012 had dru typing, cluster analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing done. The majority of isolates belonged to type dt11a (30.9%), dt10h (24.5%), dt9a (18.1%), and dt11af (10.6%) with the remaining 15.9% of isolates distributed among 13 dru types. The predominant dru types identified were similar in Ontario; however, cluster 9a appears to be less common in Atlantic Canada. A significant difference in the distribution of clusters among Atlantic provinces was detected (P = 0.01). Resistance to ≥ 2 non-β-lactam antimicrobials was observed in 71.4% of the isolates. The MRSP isolates from this study were notably less resistant than those reported in the literature. A more comprehensive study of the MRSP dru types could help further elucidate the distribution of this pathogen in Canada.