Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in dairy farms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an opportunistic bacterium that causes many human and animal infections worldwide. MRSA infections are classified as priority infections owing to their high morbidity and mortality, with a significant risk of zoonotic transmission. This study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of MRSA in dairy cattle farms and its heterogeneity. Relevant studies were retrieved from three databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The pooled prevalence of MRSA in dairy farms was estimated using a random-effects model. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to assess the probable sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses were also performed. A total of 94 articles were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of MRSA was estimated to be 3.81% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 2.61–5.20] with significantly high heterogeneity (I2 = 96.6%, p = 0.00). For the subgroup analysis among continents, the prevalence was highest in Asia (4.89%; 95% CI = 2.88–7.35) and lowest in South America (1.33%, 95% CI = 0.00–5.49). As for the year of publication, MRSA prevalence was highest in reports published from 2015 to 2018 (4.36%, 95% CI = 2.41–6.80) and lowest in reports published before 2015 (2.65%, 95% CI = 0.75–5.52). As for sample type, the prevalence of MRSA in cattle milk (3.91%, 95% CI = 2.64–5.39) was higher than that in other sample types (1.19%, 95% CI = 0.05–3.24). These three factors were not significantly associated with the pooled prevalence of MRSA (p > 0.05). Therefore, the findings of this study indicate that the prevalence of MRSA has been minimal and consistent in dairy cattle farms over time.

Ecological distribution of Staphylococcus in integrated farms within Washington DC–Maryland

“…throughout eight farms and two retail supermarkets. Surprisingly, no isolates were identified as S. aureus, which contrasts with other studies that have found an overall prevalence of 3.81% in dairy farms, 4%-46.6% in bulk tank milk, and 22.5%-47% in meat and poultry (Abdalrahman et al, 2015;Bhargava et al, 2011;Haran et al, 2012;Khanal et al, 2022;Patel et al, 2021;Waters et al, 2011). Instead, this study found that the Staphylococci isolates, which include both identified and unknowns, were CNS, falling within the overall prevalence of 9.6%-26% found in similar studies done on dairy farms (Condas et al, 2017;Gizaw et al, 2020).…”

Analysis of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Pathogens Recovered from Food and Human Sources: Insights from 639,087 Bacterial Whole-Genome Sequences in the NCBI Pathogen Detection Database

“…Interestingly, our study carriage of mec was significantly lower in dairy compared to all other foods and clinical sources (Figure 3, Supplementary File S2). This finding is similar to a meta-analysis conducted by Khanal et al [91], who reported the prevalence of MRSA to be 3.81% overall and 3.91% in dairy cattle farms and cattle milk specifically. While MRSA isolates are commonly recovered from foods, the role of food in their transmission remains unclear [92].…”

Evolution of the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance to Staphylococcus spp. Isolated from Horses in Florida over a 10-Year Period

“…The low numbers of oxacillin resistance of all Staphylococcal species in this study is in contrast to what is seen in small animal medicine in which an increase has been seen in oxacillin resistance in dogs in recent years [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. However, the low prevalence of oxacillin resistance seen in this study is similar to that seen in livestock [ 35 ]. It is hypothesized that there is less methicillin/oxacillin resistance in livestock and horses when compared to small animals due to the increased regulations on antibiotic use and decreased available antibiotics for use in the large animal species.…”