Detection of mecC-Positive Staphylococcus aureus (CC130-MRSA-XI) in Diseased European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Sweden

Abstract

Recently, a novel mec gene conferring beta-lactam resistance in Staphylococcus aureus has been discovered. This gene, mecC, is situated on a SCCmec XI element that has to date been identified in clonal complexes 49, 130, 425, 599 and 1943. Some of the currently known isolates have been identified from animals. This, and observations of mecA alleles that do not confer beta-lactam resistance, indicate that mec genes might have a reservoir in Staphylococcus species from animals. Thus it is important also to screen wildlife isolates for mec genes. Here, we describe mecC-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ST130-MRSA-XI) and the lesions related to the infection in two diseased free-ranging European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus). One was found dead in 2003 in central Sweden, and suffered from S. aureus septicaemia. The other one, found on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea in 2011, showed a severe dermatitis and was euthanised. ST130-MRSA-XI isolates were isolated from lesions from both hedgehogs and were essentially identical to previously described isolates from humans. Both isolates carried the complete SCCmec XI element. They lacked the lukF-PV/lukS-PV and lukM/lukF-P83 genes, but harboured a gene for an exfoliative toxin homologue previously described from Staphylococcus hyicus, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and other S. aureus of the CC130 lineage. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of CC130-MRSA-XI in hedgehogs. Given that one of the samples was taken as early as 2003, this was the earliest detection of this strain and of mecC in Sweden. This and several other recent observations suggest that CC130 might be a zoonotic lineage of S. aureus and that SCCmec XI/mecC may have originated from animal pathogens.

Characterization of Livestock-Associated Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusCC398 andmecC-positive CC130 from Zoo Animals in the United Kingdom

“…It has also been linked to zoonotic transmission. [53][54][55][56][57] In the United Kingdom, 0.45% of human MRSA isolates carry mecC and most of these belonged to CC130. 58 In addition, mecC isolates with a similar genetic background (ST130, spa type843) have been identified in human isolates from Scotland and North-West England, where the zoo is located from which these specimens originated.…”

The mecA Homolog mecC Confers Resistance against β-Lactams in Staphylococcus aureus Irrespective of the Genetic Strain Background

“…Recently, MRSA strains with a novel SCCmec XI element and a novel penicillin-binding protein gene homolog (mecC) were described in the United Kingdom and Denmark (7,8). After their first description, SCCmec XI-carrying strains were identified in animal as well as human specimens in many European countries (10,11,(22)(23)(24)(25). Because mecC exhibits 70% identity to mecA on the nucleotide level and PBP2c shows 63% identity to PBP2a on the protein level, and because the majority of mecC-positive isolates were shown to be beta-lactam resistant, it was assumed that mecC is a novel genetic determinant mediating beta-lactam resistance in S. aureus.…”

Extensive Genetic Diversity Identified among Sporadic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Recovered in Irish Hospitals between 2000 and 2012

“…The isolate was recovered from an elderly patient in the community who had previously been hospitalized on several occasions and who lived adjacent to a farm. Since its first detection, SCCmec XI has been reported sporadically among MRSA isolates belonging to a number of animalassociated MRSA lineages (predominantly CC130) in many different European countries from human and animal sources (32), and several studies have provided evidence for the zoonotic spread of these strains (58,59). Other clones of possible animal origin were also identified, all recovered between 2007 and 2011, including the equine-associated ST8-t064-MRSA-IVa clone (60,61), as well as the livestock-associated clone ST398-t011-MRSA-IVa and CC6-MRSA-IVh, which has been linked with camels (1,62,63).…”

“…In addition, one pvl-negative MRSA isolate recovered from a patient in the community but who had previously been hospitalized on several occasions was also included for investigation. This isolate harbored mecC (SCCmec type XI) and was included because this clone was recovered sporadically in two patients in two separate hospitals in Ireland in 2010 (2) and has recently been reported in several other European countries (32). The majority of the MRSA isolates (73.8% [65/88]) selected for study were recovered from infections (89% [58/65] BSIs and 10.8% [7/65] skin and soft tissue infections [SSTIs]), 11% (10/88) were colonizing isolates from patient screening, and no information was available for the remainder (14.8% [13/88]).…”