Prevalence and Molecular Identification of Staphylococcus spp. Associated with Otitis Externa in Dogs

Abstract

Canine otitis externa is a common inflammatory disorder of the external ear canal, and Staphylococcus spp. are frequently associated with affected ears. This study determined the prevalence of canine otitis externa and molecularly confirmed Staphylococcus spp. associated with affected dogs in and around Indore. Over six months, 1,874 dogs presented at the Veterinary Clinical Complex and from surrounding areas were screened by clinical and bilateral otoscopic examination. Ear swabs from affected dogs were examined microbiologically, and Staphylococcus isolates were confirmed by genus-specific polymerase chain reaction targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Otitis externa was identified in 78 dogs, giving an overall prevalence of 4.16%. Of these cases, 47 (60.26%) were positive for Staphylococcus spp. All 47 isolates produced the expected 420 bp amplicon by PCR. The highest prevalence of staphylococcal otitis externa occurred in dogs aged 1–7 years (77.42%), followed by dogs aged >7 years (57.89%), >6–12 months (47.06%), and 0–6 months (36.36%). Labrador Retrievers had the highest breed-wise prevalence (75.00%), followed by German Shepherds (69.23%) and Golden Retrievers (63.64%). Male dogs showed a higher prevalence (65.96%) than females (51.61%). These findings demonstrate frequent recovery of Staphylococcus spp. from canine otitis externa cases in the study population and support genus-specific 16S rRNA PCR as a method for molecular confirmation of the recovered isolates.