Elizabeth A Fisher1, Gavin K Paterson2. 1. School of Life Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. 2. Easter Bush Pathology, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, UK; The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK. Electronic address: gavin.paterson@ed.ac.uk.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of methicillin-resistant staphylococci on dairy farms in England and Wales including zoonotic MRSA. METHODS: Bulk tank milk was sampled from 363 dairy farms in 2015-2016 and methicillin-resistant staphylococci were isolated by salt broth enrichment and plating on MRSA Brilliance selective agar. Isolates were characterised through antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing. RESULTS: Methicillin-resistant staphylococci were isolated from ∼5% of dairy farms and belonged to six different species, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus lentus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus fleurettii and Staphylococcus sciuri. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a large variety of antimicrobial resistance genes and SCCmec elements were present, including mecA and mecC alleles. Potentially zoonotic methicillin-resistance S. aureus were found at a low prevalence (0.83% of sampled dairy farms). Whole-genome sequencing also provided evidence for the mobility of a primordial mec gene complex, independently of a SCCmec element, which appears to have been acquired by S. saprophyticus from S. fleurettii. CONCLUSIONS: These data give new insight into the epidemiology of veterinary methicillin-resistant staphylococci to inform future surveillance and zoonotic risk evaluation. Our data indicate that MRSA has likely decreased in prevalence since earlier survey work in England and Wales during 2011-12 and highlights the diversity of methicillin resistance and other resistance determinants among bovine-associated staphylococci with implications for veterinary and human medicine.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of methicillin-resistant staphylococci on dairy farms in England and Wales including zoonotic MRSA. METHODS: Bulk tank milk was sampled from 363 dairy farms in 2015-2016 and methicillin-resistant staphylococci were isolated by salt broth enrichment and plating on MRSA Brilliance selective agar. Isolates were characterised through antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing. RESULTS: Methicillin-resistant staphylococci were isolated from ∼5% of dairy farms and belonged to six different species, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus lentus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus fleurettii and Staphylococcus sciuri. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a large variety of antimicrobial resistance genes and SCCmec elements were present, including mecA and mecC alleles. Potentially zoonotic methicillin-resistance S. aureus were found at a low prevalence (0.83% of sampled dairy farms). Whole-genome sequencing also provided evidence for the mobility of a primordial mec gene complex, independently of a SCCmec element, which appears to have been acquired by S. saprophyticus from S. fleurettii. CONCLUSIONS: These data give new insight into the epidemiology of veterinary methicillin-resistant staphylococci to inform future surveillance and zoonotic risk evaluation. Our data indicate that MRSA has likely decreased in prevalence since earlier survey work in England and Wales during 2011-12 and highlights the diversity of methicillin resistance and other resistance determinants among bovine-associated staphylococci with implications for veterinary and human medicine.
Authors: Maria de Fatima N F Alves; Bruno Penna; Renata F A Pereira; Reinaldo B Geraldo; Evelize Folly; Helena Carla Castro; Fabio Aguiar-Alves Journal: Braz J Microbiol Date: 2020-10-21 Impact factor: 2.476
Authors: Laryssa Freitas Ribeiro; Rafael Akira Sato; Andressa de Souza Pollo; Gabriel Augusto Marques Rossi; Luiz Augusto do Amaral Journal: Toxins (Basel) Date: 2020-12-08 Impact factor: 4.546