Isolation of bacterial skin flora of healthy sheep, with comparison between frequent and minimal human handling

Background Few data are available regarding skin bacterial flora of healthy sheep and meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus carriage. Hypothesis/Objectives To compare skin, ear and mucosal bacterial populations between minimally and frequently handled sheep; to determine whether the frequency of meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus varied between groups. Animals One hundred and three healthy feedlot and show sheep from eight farms. Methods Swabs were collected from the dorsum, right ear and right nostril of each sheep. Two groups from each farm were evaluated, except from one farm, which had only one group. Bacterial isolates were identified to the genus or species level using phenotypic analysis or matrix‐associated laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and spa typing were performed on isolates of S. aureus. Results Sixteen bacterial genera were identified and 11 staphylococcal species, including S. aureus. The skin and mucosal bacterial flora were compared between the groups. The only statistically significant difference in bacteria was Streptococcus spp. on the dorsum (P = 0.0088), with carriage being more common in frequently handled sheep. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing did not find meticillin‐resistant S. aureus. There was no significant difference in S. aureus carriage in the ear (P = 0.33), nostril (P = 0.43) or dorsum (P = 0.053) between frequently and minimally handled sheep. The S. aureus isolates belonged to six different spa types. Three were of the ST398 lineage. Conclusions and clinical importance Sheep are a potential source of livestock‐associated meticillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus ST398. Résumé Contexte Peu de donnée existe sur la flore bactérienne des moutons sains et de leur portage de Staphylococcus résistant à la pénicilline. Hypothèses/Objectifs Comparer les populations bactériennes cutanée, auriculaire et muqueuse entre les moutons fréquemment ou peu manipulés ; déterminer si la fréquence de Staphylococcus aureus résistant à la méticilline varie entre les groups. Sujets Cent trois moutons d'exposition et d'engraissement issus de huit fermes. Méthodes Des échantillons ont été prélevés sur le dos, l'oreille droite et la narine droite de chaque mouton. Deux groups de chaque ferme ont été évalués, sauf pour une ferme qui n'avait qu'un groupe. Les souches bactériennes isolées ont été identifiées au niveau du genre ou de l'espèce à l'aide d'analyses phénotypiqu