Identificación de Staphylococcus aureus y determinación de su resistencia a antimicrobianos en aves psitácidas en cautiverio y en sus cuidadores (Venezuela)

The order Psittaciformes includes parakeets, parrots, cockatoos and macaws. Its microbiota includes Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-positive coconut with virulence factors that, in the presence of predisposing factors, favor tissue colonization, resist the host's immune defenses and cause pathologies such as skin and soft tissues. In this investigation, Staphylococcus aureus was identified and its resistance to antimicrobials was determined in parrots in captivity and in their keepers in Venezuela. Cloacal samples and faeces of Psittaciformes birds were collected, as well as nasopharyngeal swabs from their keepers. The samples were cultivated for isolation and subsequent bacterial identification. For the determination of the antimicrobial susceptibility, the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method was applied. 57.8% (26/45) of the birds and 60% (3/5) of the keepers were isolated for Staphylococcus aureus. Susceptibility tests reported 2.2% Methicillin Resistant S. aureus in birds and 20% in keepers. The highest percentage of resistance was towards beta-lactam antibiotics and a higher multi-resistance was found in keepers than in birds. This phenomenon represents a risk for populations of birds and fauna in captivity, where animals in captivity can act as a reservoir for diseases.