Phenotypic and Genotypic of Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp. Isolated from Raw Milk and Artisanal Cheese

<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and a few species of coagulase negative are frequently associated with food poisoning. Raw milk and dairy products are among the foods usually associated with outbreaks due to staphylococcal intoxication. This study aimed to determine phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles to beta-lactam drugs in <i>Staphylococcus</i> coagulase positive (CoPS) and negative (CoNS) isolates. A total of 58 CoPS and 45 CoNS isolates recovered from raw milk and artisanal cheese from Santa Catarina were analyzed. All isolates (<i>n</i> = 103) were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. High levels of resistance to penicillin (41% of CoPS and 31% of CoNS), amoxicillin (40% CoPS), ampicillin (36% CoPS), and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (35% CoNS) were observed. Twenty six percent of the isolates (18 CoPS and 9 CoNS) exhibited multiresistance profile; which means, they were resistant to at least three different classes of the antimicrobial drugs. Detection of resistance genes (<i>mec</i>A, <i>mec</i>C, and <i>bla</i>Z) was performed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Twelve isolates (9 CoPS and 3 CoNS) were positive for <i>mec</i>A, whereas 10 strains (4 CoPS and 6 CoNS) were positive for <i>bla</i>Z. The detection of resistant and multidrug resistant isolates emphasizes the necessity to develop strategies to better comply with good manufacturing practices and health care guidelines.