A One Health Approach Molecular Analysis of Reveals Distinct Lineages in Isolates from Miranda Donkeys () and Their Handlers.

Donkeys () are in decline in Europe. Occupational exposure to farm animals has been associated with increased staphylococci carriage. We aimed to isolate and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) from donkeys and handlers and characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles and genetic lineages of strains. Oral and nasal swab samples were collected from 49 Miranda donkeys and 23 handlers from 15 different farms. Staphylococci species were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. The presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors was investigated by PCR. Molecular typing was performed in isolates. From the 49 donkey samples, 4 (8.2%) and 21 CoNS (42.9%) were isolated. Ten handlers (43.5%) were carriers of and 4 (17.4%) carried CoNS. The CoNS isolates showed resistance to several classes of antimicrobials encoded by the A, (3')-IIIa, (4')-Ia, M, K, A, B, C, A and G genes. isolates were resistant to penicillin, aminoglicosides and tetracycline harboring the Z, (3')-IIIa, L, M and K genes. All isolates from donkeys belonged to ST49 and -type t208 while the strains isolated from the handlers were ascribed to 3 STs and 7 -types. However, human isolates were from different STs than the donkey isolates. Donkeys are mainly colonized by methicillin-resistant . transmission between donkeys and their handlers appears not to have occurred since the isolates belonged to different genetic lineages.