Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
(ISSN: 2659 – 0743)
Volume 7, No. 2, 2025
Pages 297-304
DOI: 10.36108/jvbs/5202.70.0220
Occurrence and Risk Factors Associated with Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Sheep Samples from Maiduguri Central Abattoir, Borno State, Nigeria
Abdulrahman Mohammed1*, Lukman Mustapha2, Dawud Jidda1, Adamu Saleh Saidu 1, Sani Mohammed 1, Muhammad Mamman Gashua1 and Abdulrahman Idris Adamu
1Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
2Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta. Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important zoonotic pathogen that has been reported in several domestic animal and avian species, including dogs, cats, horses, sheep, pigs, and poultry. This study assessed the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA among sheep slaughtered at the Maiduguri abattoir, with emphasis on age, sex, and breed distribution. Nasal swabs (n = 200) were collected from Ouda, Yankasa, and Balami breeds. Isolates were identified based on colony morphology, Gram staining, haemolysis, catalase, coagulase, and DNase activities. MRSA was detected by antimicrobial susceptibility test using disc diffusion method. Overall, 87 (43.5%) samples were positive for S. aureus, with no statistically significant differences by age, sex, or breed (p > 0.05). Four isolates (2.0%) were identified as MRSA, all from ewes, suggesting increased occupational risk for farmers and abattoir workers. The findings underscore the need for awareness campaigns promoting the use of protective clothing and highlight the importance of further surveillance of MRSA in other food-producing and companion animal species.
Keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility; Maiduguri Abattoir; Nasal Swabs; Prevalence; Sheep; Staphylococcus aureus