Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from two pig farms : longitudinal study of LA-MRSA

Golob, Majda (author), Pate, Mateja (author), Kušar, Darja (author), Zajc, Urška (author), Papić, Bojan (author), Ocepek, Matjaž (author), Zdovc, Irena (author), Avberšek, Jana (author)

Pigs were identified as the most important reservoir of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA), mostly belonging to the emergent zoonotic clonal complex (CC) 398. Here, we investigated the presence of MRSA in sows and piglets over a period of several months in two pig farms (intensive farm A and family-run farm B). Isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR characterization and spa typing. We collected 280 samples, namely 206 nasal swabs from pigs and 74 environmental samples from pig housings at 12 consecutive time points. A total of 120/161 (74.5%) and 75/119 (63.0%) samples were MRSA-positive in farms A and B, respectively. All isolates harbored mecA but lacked mecC and PVL-encoding genes. The identified spa types (t571, t034, t1250 and t898 in farm A, t1451 and t011 in farm B) were indicative of CC398. Antimicrobial resistance patterns (all multidrug resistant in farm A, 57.2% in farm B) depended on the farm, suggesting the impact of farm size and management practices on the prevalence and characteristics of MRSA. Due to the intermittent colonization of pigs and the high contamination of their immediate environment, MRSA status should be determined at the farm level when considering preventive measures or animal trade between farms.

• Language: English
• Keywords: livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA), pigs, multidrug resistance (MDR), spa typing, longitudinal study
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 02.11.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, no. 11, art. 1532
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142358
• UDC: 636.09:579
• ISSN on article: 2079-6382
• DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111532
• COBISS.SI-ID: 127705091
• Publication date in RUL: 02.11.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Antibiotics
• Shortened title: Antibiotics
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2079-6382
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522975769

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 02.11.2022

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: J4-6810
• Name: Rejne živali kot rezervoar okužb z bakterijama Clostridium difficile in MRSA pri ljudeh

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0092
• Name: Zdravje živali, okolje in varna hrana