| Summary: | Bovine milk and milk products may contain pathogens, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and antibiotic residues that could harm consumers. We analyzed 282 gram-positive isolates from milk samples from dairy farmers and vendors in Haryana and Assam, India, to assess the prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci using microbiological tests, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and genotyping by PCR. The prevalence of genotypic methicillin resistance in isolates from raw milk samples was 5% [95% confidence interval, CI (3–8)], with 7% [CI (3–10)] in Haryana, in contrast to 2% [CI (0.2–6)] in Assam. The prevalence was the same in isolates from milk samples collected from farmers [5% (<i>n</i> = 6), CI (2–11)] and vendors [5% (<i>n</i> = 7), CI (2–10)]. Methicillin resistance was also observed in 15% of the isolates from pasteurized milk [(<i>n</i> = 3), CI (3–38)]. Two staphylococci harboring a novel <i>mecC</i> gene were identified for the first time in Indian dairy products. The only SCC<i>mec</i> type identified was Type V. The staphylococci with the <i>mecA</i> (<i>n</i> = 11) gene in raw milk were commonly resistant to oxacillin [92%, CI (59–100)] and cefoxitin [74%, CI (39–94)], while the isolates with <i>mecC</i> (<i>n</i> = 2) were resistant to oxacillin (100%) only. All the staphylococci with the <i>mecA</i> (<i>n</i> = 3) gene in pasteurized milk were resistant to both oxacillin and cefoxitin. Our results provided evidence that methicillin-resistant staphylococci occur in dairy products in India with potential public health implications. The state with more intensive dairy systems (Haryana) had higher levels of methicillin-resistant bacteria in milk.
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