Manuel Wolters1, Hagen Frickmann2,3, Martin Christner1, Anna Both1, Holger Rohde1, Kwabena Oppong4, Charity Wiafe Akenten4, Jürgen May5,6, Denise Dekker6,7. 1. Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Universitiy Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20251 Hamburg, Germany. 2. Department of Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, Germany. 3. Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany. 4. Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana. 5. Tropical Medicine II, Universitiy Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20251 Hamburg, Germany. 6. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), 20359 Hamburg, Germany. 7. German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Globally, Staphylococcus aureus is an important bacterial pathogen causing a wide range of community and hospital acquired infections. In Ghana, resistance of S. aureus to locally available antibiotics is increasing but the molecular basis of resistance and the population structure of S. aureus in particular in chronic wounds are poorly described. However, this information is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms of resistance and spread of resistant clones. We therefore subjected 28 S. aureus isolates from chronic infected wounds in a rural area of Ghana to whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: Overall, resistance of S. aureus to locally available antibiotics was high and 29% were Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The most abundant sequence type was ST88 (29%, 8/28) followed by ST152 (18%, 5/28). All ST88 carried the mecA gene, which was associated with this sequence type only. Chloramphenicol resistance gene fexB was exclusively associated with the methicillin-resistant ST88 strains. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) carriage was associated with ST121 and ST152. Other detected mechanisms of resistance included dfrG, conferring resistance to trimethoprim. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable information for understanding the population structure and resistance mechanisms of S. aureus isolated from chronic wound infections in rural Ghana.
BACKGROUND: Globally, Staphylococcus aureus is an important bacterial pathogen causing a wide range of community and hospital acquired infections. In Ghana, resistance of S. aureus to locally available antibiotics is increasing but the molecular basis of resistance and the population structure of S. aureus in particular in chronic wounds are poorly described. However, this information is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms of resistance and spread of resistant clones. We therefore subjected 28 S. aureus isolates from chronic infected wounds in a rural area of Ghana to whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: Overall, resistance of S. aureus to locally available antibiotics was high and 29% were Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The most abundant sequence type was ST88 (29%, 8/28) followed by ST152 (18%, 5/28). All ST88 carried the mecA gene, which was associated with this sequence type only. Chloramphenicol resistance gene fexB was exclusively associated with the methicillin-resistant ST88 strains. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) carriage was associated with ST121 and ST152. Other detected mechanisms of resistance included dfrG, conferring resistance to trimethoprim. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable information for understanding the population structure and resistance mechanisms of S. aureus isolated from chronic wound infections in rural Ghana.
Authors: Artur J Sabat; Marjan Wouthuyzen-Bakker; Angelique Rondags; Laura Hughes; Viktoria Akkerboom; Olga Koutsopetra; Alexander W Friedrich; Erik Bathoorn Journal: Front Genet Date: 2022-09-15 Impact factor: 4.772