Genetic characterization and dissemination of Staphylococcus aureus: food and health perspective
Abstract:
The study compares MRSA isolates from retail meat and human clinical isolates to track and identify S. aureus clones associated with antibiotic resistance, staphylococcal toxins, and virulence. The study identifies novel S.aureus sequence types (ST8109, CC121/ST8110, and CC5/ST8111-IVa). The study also reveals that MRSA clones in retail meat products shares genomic characterization with patients' MRSA clones, suggesting a common emerging source. The SCCmec types IV, V, VI, and IX found in S. aureus from patients belong to the CA-MRSA and LA-MRSA have replaced the HA-MRSA SCCmec types in hospitals. Also, the previously predominant clone CC8/ST239 causing infections in Saudi hospitals was replaced by CA-MRSA and LA-MRSA emerging clones in patients. S. aureus isolatesd from Patients' and meat exhibited significant levels of the resistance genes tet38, blaZ, and fosB. In meat and patients, MRSA strains and MSSA strains harbored similar multidrug-resistance genes (MDR) profiles. S. aureus isolated from meat samples had immune evasion (IEC), intercellular adhesion (ica), and iron-regulated surface determinant system (Isd) genes that are known to be associated with S. aureus clones adapted to humans. High-throughput sequencing technology is needed to control antimicrobial-resistant S. aureus strains and integrate detection and testing of MRSA and S.aureus MDR strains into surveillance programs.