Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) Isolated from a canine testicle
By Cheryl Maguire, DVM
With over 800,000 tests run annually, TVMDL encounters many challenging cases. Our case study series will highlight these interesting cases to increase awareness among veterinary and diagnostic communities.
A one-year-old, intact male, Staffordshire terrier was presented to his veterinarian for enlarged testicles and pitting edema of the scrotum. Serum and testicular tissue was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for testing. A rapid slide agglutination test was negative for Brucella canis. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) was isolated from the testicular and scrotal tissues; both tissues were culture negative for Brucella.
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is both a commensal organism of the skin and mucous membranes as well as a major pathogen of dogs. Isolation of Methicillin- resistant strains are a problem of increasing concern for veterinarians. Culture and susceptibility testing were crucial in identifying the source of this patient’s clinical condition.
Reference:
Quinn, P.J., Markey B.K., Leonard F. C., FitzPatrick E.S., Fanning S, Hartigan P.J., (2011) Veterinary Microbiology and Microbial Disease, 179-187
Contact Dr. Cheryl Maguire, Veterinary Diagnostician at the College Station lab for more information about this case. For more information on TVMDL’s test catalog, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call 1.888.646.5623.