We investigated the susceptibility of totarol in 20 staphylococci strains, consisting of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (n = 10) and S. coagulans (n = 10), from dogs and cats with skin infections. Each species contained 5 methicillin-resistant and 5 methicillin-susceptible strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of totarol were determined by microbroth dilution method. As a result, all strains had the MIC of 4 μg/mL, except for one methicillin-susceptible S. coagulans strain, which had the MIC of 40 μg/mL. These MICs were extremely lower than the totarol concentration in commercially-available topical products. The present findings would support the use of totarol-containing topical products as one of the treatment options for canine and feline skin infections with both methicillin-susceptible and -resistant staphylococci.

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We examined human keratinocyte cell invasion ability (CIA) of Pasteurella canis from 17 animals and 13 humans with relationships between CIA and host/genotypic traits. We designated CIA higher than isolate mean as high-frequency and that lower than mean as low-frequency. Repetitive element-based fingerprinting dendrograms were constructed; virulence-associated genes were clustered in phylogenetic trees. High-frequency CIA was observed in 9 isolates; low-frequency CIA in 21. No relationships were observed between high-frequency CIA and host/source. Dendrograms showed no associations between high-frequency CIA/host and different clades (A–1/–2; B–1/–2/–3). Trees with ptfA–ompA alleles showed no associations between high-frequency CIA/host and different clusters (1/2; 1/2/3). Our observations suggest CIA assessment feasibility without relationships between high-frequency CIA and host/genotypic traits.

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