Outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 1, spa type t1784, in an equine hospital in Japan

Uchida‐Fujii, Eri; Niwa, Hidekazu; Kanai, Kota; Kinoshita, Yuta; Kuroda, Taisuke; Nukada, Toshio; Ueno, Takanori

doi:10.1016/j.vas.2022.100259

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Most isolates of upstream belonged to ST9, ST88, and ST398, which are related to LA-MRSA ( 9 , 25 , 26 ), indicating that S. aureus from upstream mostly originated from pig farms. In contrast, ST7, ST97, and ST1 were more frequent sequence types in downstream, suggesting that they are more likely from the slaughter environment and workers ( 27 – 30 ). These findings suggested that the surveillance of S. aureus contamination in the farms may have limited risk assessment capabilities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Heterogeneity and transmission of food safety-related enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in pig abattoirs in Hubei, China

Zhu,

Wu,

Chen

et al. 2023

Microbiol Spectr

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The dissemination of Staphylococcus aureus in the pork production chain is a major food safety concern. Abattoirs can serve both as disruptor and transmitter for S. aureus . In this study, we conducted a systematic genomic epidemiology research on the prevalence, heterogeneity, and transmission of S. aureus in 3,638 samples collected from four pig abattoirs in Hubei province, China. Our findings revealed substantial heterogeneity between S. aureus recovered from samples collected at upstream (from stunning step to head-removal step) and downstream (from splitting step to chilling step) locations within the slaughter process. Overall, 966 (26.6%) samples were positive for S. aureus , with significantly higher overall prevalence for upstream samples (29.0%, 488/1,681) compared to downstream samples (24.4%, 478/1,957). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated that the isolates from the upstream exhibited significantly higher resistance proportions to different antimicrobials than those from the downstream. Whole-genome sequencing of 126 isolates revealed that ST398 (32.9%, 23/70) and ST9 (22.9%, 16/70) were more common among upstream isolates, while ST7 (35.7%, 20/56) and ST97 (28.6%, 16/56) were most frequently observed among downstream isolates. Additionally, molecular characterization analysis demonstrated that upstream isolates possessed significantly higher enterotoxigenic potential, more antimicrobial resistance genes, and S. aureus pathogenicity islands than downstream isolates. Notably, we discovered that enterotoxigenic S. aureus could be transmitted across different slaughter stages, with knives, water, and air serving as vectors. Although slaughtering processes had a substantial effect on reducing the food safety risk posed by enterotoxigenic S. aureus , the possibility of its widespread transmission should not be disregarded. IMPORTANCE Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is one of the most important foodborne pathogens, and can cause foodborne poisoning by producing enterotoxins. Pork is a preferable reservoir and its contamination often occurs during the slaughter process. Our findings revealed significant differences in the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and enterotoxigenic potential between the upstream and downstream isolates within the slaughter process. Also, it is imperative not to overlook enterotoxigenic S. aureus transmitted across all stages of the slaughter process, with notable vectors being knives, water, and air. These findings hold significant implications for policy-makers to reassess their surveillance projects, and underscore the importance of implementing effective control measures to minimize the risk of S. aureus contamination in pork production. Moreover, we provide a more compelling method of characterizing pathogen transmission based on core-SNPs of bacterial genomes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Heterogeneity and transmission of food safety-related enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in pig abattoirs in Hubei, China

Zhu,

Wu,

Chen

et al. 2023

Microbiol Spectr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In an equine hospital setting, there is clear evidence that people spread MRSA around the clinic and that horses subsequently contract it from the environment (van Duijkeren et al, 2010). People can spread MRSA both by acting as fomites and by shedding bacteria directly themselves (when colonised), for example from the nose or skin of the hands.…”

Section: Gratwickmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of MRSA strains with different sequence types and origins have been reported to cause clinical infections in horses (Cuny & Witte, 2017;van Duijkeren et al, 2010). The prevalence and predominating strains vary with time and by geographic location (Cuny & Witte, 2017).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Zoonotic transmission is a genuine and significant concern, with clear evidence that these bacteria can be spread from horses to humans, and from humans to horses (Albert et al, 2023;van Duijkeren et al, 2010;Weese et al, 2005;Weese, Caldwell, et al, 2006). Key considerations for our clinical practice include the prevention, containment and successful management of MRSA infections.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When systemic antimicrobial therapy is required, the likelihood of successful management will be heavily influenced by whether the isolate is sensitive to an antimicrobial that is safe and suitable for equine use. Furthermore, outbreaks can occur, with a number having been reported in equine hospitals (Uchida‐Fujii et al, 2022; van Duijkeren et al, 2010). Infections can lead to reduced welfare, increased patient time in hospital and a greater financial burden for clients.…”

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confidence: 99%

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