| Summary: | There are uncertainties with respect to the transmission of methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MSSA and MRSA) and <i>Staphylococcus pseudintermedius</i> between dogs and humans. In this study, we investigated concomitant nasal colonization of dogs and humans in three cohorts. Cohort I, households owning dogs: In 42 of 84 households, 66 humans (36.9%) and 10 dogs (8.9%) carried <i>S. aureus</i>. MRSA, attributed to sequence type (ST) 22 and ST130, were detected in two (1.1%) of the humans but in none of the dogs. Typing by means of <i>spa</i>-typing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) indicated eight transmissions of <i>S. aureus</i> between humans and dogs in 8 of 42 (19.0%) households with human <i>S. aureus</i> carriers, whereas in 11 of 38 (29.0%) households with ≥two persons and <i>S. aureus</i> colonization of humans, 15 human-to-human transmissions were observed (<i>p</i> = 0.43). <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> was isolated from 42 dogs (37.5%), but from only one human (0.6%). In this case, WGS-based typing indicated strong relatedness of this isolate with a canine isolate from the same household. Cohort II, dogs and their owners visiting a veterinary practice: Among 17 humans and 17 dogs attending a veterinary practice, MSSA was detected in three humans and two dogs, and <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> in only six dogs. Cohort III, dogs used for animal-assisted interventions in human healthcare facilities and their owners: MSSA was obtained in 1 of 59 dogs (1.7%) and in 17 of 60 (28.3%) of the dog owners, while <i>S. pseudintermedius</i> was isolated from seven (12%) dogs and one (1.7%) human owner. We conclude that the risk of exchanging <i>S. aureus</i>/MRSA between humans and dogs is higher than that for <i>S. pseudintermedius</i>.
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