DISTRIBUTION AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCI ISOLATED FROM FREE-LIVING SOUTH AMERICAN COATI () IN AN URBAN PARK IN MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL.

The scientific information regarding staphylococci in procyonids is scarce. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency, distribution, and pattern of antimicrobial resistance of staphylococcal species isolated from free-roaming coatis () in an urban park in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Rectal swabs from 55 free-living coatis were plated onto mannitol salt agar for isolating staphylococci, and species were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of , and sequencing of 16S rRNA and when needed. Antimicrobial susceptibility was investigated using the disk diffusion method, and the presence of the gene was investigated by PCR. A total of 72.7% of the animals tested positive for staphylococci. Nine different species were identified, and (60.4%) and (20.9%) were the most frequently isolated species. Most of the isolates were susceptible to most of the antimicrobials evaluated, with a resistance pattern seen for penicillin (13.9%). One isolate was multidrug-resistant (MDR). The present study suggests that coatis are natural hosts of and and, despite living in a heavily anthropized environment, the spp. isolates showed a low incidence of drug resistance.