During a survey of fresh chicken and turkey meat as well as chicken and turkey meat products for the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in Germany, 32 (37.2%) of 86 samples were MRSA positive. Twenty-eight of these MRSA isolates belonged to clonal complex 398 (CC398), which is widespread among food-producing animals. These CC398 isolates carried SCCmec elements of type IV or V and exhibited spa type t011, t034, t899, t2346 or t6574 and either the known dru types dt2b, dt6j, dt10a, dt10q, dt11a, dt11v, and dt11ab or the novel dru types dt6m, dt10as, and dt10at. In addition, two MRSA sequence type 9 (ST9) isolates with a type IV SCCmec cassette, spa type t1430, and dru type dt10a as well as single MRSA ST5 and ST1791 isolates with a type III SCCmec cassette, spa type t002, and dru type dt9v were identified. All but two isolates were classified as multiresistant. A wide variety of resistance phenotypes and genotypes were detected. All isolates were negative for the major virulence factors, such as Panton-Valentine leukocidin, toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, or exfoliative toxins. In contrast to the MRSA CC398 isolates, the four ST9, ST5, or ST1791 isolates harbored the egc gene cluster for enterotoxin G, I, M, N, O, and U genes. Although the relevance of contamination of fresh poultry meat or poultry products with MRSA is currently unclear, the presence of multiresistant and, in part, enterotoxigenic MRSA emphasizes the need for further studies to elucidate possible health hazards for consumers.

No abstract

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) isolates have been the subject of numerous studies during recent years. The characterization of such isolates has usually also included the determination of their resistance phenotypes and associated resistance genotypes. Analysis of the resistance genes present in LA-MRSA isolates has revealed a number of genes commonly found in S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci of humans and animals. In addition, novel resistance genes and/or resistance genes that have been rarely detected in staphylococci so far have been encountered. These include the phenicol exporter gene fexA, the multiresistance gene cfr, the tetracycline resistance gene tet(L), the trimethoprim resistance gene dfrK, the macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance gene erm(T), the lincosamide-streptogramin A-pleuromutilin resistance genes vga(C) and vga(E), and the apramycin resistance gene apmA. Most of these genes were located on multiresistance plasmids in LA-MRSA. The co-localization of these resistance genes with other resistance genes enables their co-selection and persistence. LA-MRSA can therefore act as a donor and a recipient of antimicrobial resistance genes within the Gram-positive gene pool.

Abstract:Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen which play the more and more greater role in the pathogenicity of the human. It is often attached with the hospital environment, in which is able easily to survive for many days even in adverse conditions. Acinetobacter baumannii is the species responsible for a serious nosocomial infections, especially in the intensive care units. Option of surviving in natural niches, and in the hospital environment could also be associated with the efflux pump mechanisms. Mechanisms of efflux universally appear in all cells (eukaryotic and prokaryotic) and play the physiological important role. In prokaryote, the main functions are evasion of such naturally produced molecules, removal of metabolic products and toxins. These pumps could also be involved in an early stage of infection, such as adhesion to host cells and the colonization. Importantly, they remove commonly used antibiotics from the cell in therapy of infections caused by these bacteria. Efflux pumps exemplify a unique phenomenon in drug resistance: a single mechanism causing resistance against several different classes of antibiotics. In Acinetobacter baumannii, the AdeABC efflux pump, a member of the resistance-nodulation-cell division family (RND), has been well characterized. Aminoglicosides, tetracyclines, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, fluoroquinolones, some β-lactams, and also recently tigecycline, were found to be substrates for this pump. Drugs, as substrates for the AdeABC pump, can increase the expression of the AdeABC genes, leading to multidrug resistance (MDR). From this reason, treatment failure and death caused by Acinetobacter baumannii infections or underlying diseases are common. Because the AdeABC pump is widespread in Acinetobacter baumannii, similarly to other pumps in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, exists a need of searching a new therapeutic solutions. Specific efflux inhibitors of pumps (EPIs), including AdeABC inhibitors, could be suppress the activity of pumps and restore the sensitivity of such important bacteria as Acinetobacter baumannii to commonly used antibiotic.

Staphylococcus sciuri is a principally animal-associated bacterial species, but its clinical relevance for humans is increasing. Our study aimed to provide the first insight into the prevalence of this bacterium in a hospital environment. A 3-month surveillance was conducted in a hospital located in Belgrade, Serbia, and 1,028 samples taken from hands of medical personnel, medical devices, and various hospital surfaces were screened for S. sciuri presence. In total, 108 isolates were obtained, which resulted in a relatively high rate of colonization (10.5%). These isolates, along with 7 S. sciuri strains previously isolated in the same hospital (n ‫؍‬ 115), were phenotypically and genotypically characterized. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that 73% of the strains were resistant to one or more antibiotics, with 4.3% strains displaying multiresistance. Examination of 16S-23S ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer length polymorphism identified the strains at the subspecies level, and 74 (64.3%) strains of S. sciuri subsp. sciuri, 37 (32.2%) strains of S. sciuri subsp. rodentium, and 4 (3.5%) strains of S. sciuri subsp. carnaticus were established. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis showed 21 distinct pulsotypes, including 17 main types and 4 subtypes. One dominant cluster with 62 strains was found, while 19 (90.5%) of the PFGE types and subtypes identified had 5 or fewer strains. The predominance of small PFGE clusters suggests that the ubiquitous presence of S. sciuri in the outside environment presents the continuous source for colonization of the hospital environment. The presence of one dominant PFGE cluster of strains indicates that some S. sciuri strains may be capable for adaptation to hospital environment conditions and continuous existence in this environment.Staphylococcus sciuri is a coagulase-negative, novobiocinresistant, oxidase-positive staphylococcal species. The organism is considered a principally animal bacterial species and is commonly present on skin and mucosal surfaces of a wide range of pets and farm and wild animals (11,15,16,27) and in food of animal origin (10, 23). It is also known to occur in environmental reservoirs, such as soil, sand, water, and marsh grass (15). S. sciuri may be found as a colonizing organism in humans, with low carrier rates in the nasopharynx, skin, and urogenital tract (8,30,31). The clinical relevance of S. sciuri in humans appears to be increasing, since the bacterium has been associated with various infections, such as endocarditis (12), peritonitis (35), septic shock (13), urinary tract infection (30), endophthalmitis (3), pelvic inflammatory disease (31), and, most frequently, wound infections (17,25,28).The capacity of this species to carry antimicrobial resistance determinants has been well documented (8,17,20,25,28). Furthermore, it was suggested that the mecA gene of methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci originated from an evolutionary relative of the mecA homologue that has been identified in S. sciuri (7, 16).Isolation o...