title: Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in healthy humans with different levels of contact with animals in Tunisia: genetic lineages, methicillin resistance, and virulence factors.
abstract: Nasal swabs of 423 healthy humans who showed different levels of contact with animals (frequent, 168; sporadic, 94; no contact, 161) were obtained in Tunisia (2008-2009), and 99 of them presented other associated risk factors. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was detected in one of these 423 samples (0.24%), retrieved from a veterinarian. The MRSA isolate was mecA-positive, typed as ST80-t203-SCCmecIVc-agrIII, and contained tet(K), ant(6)-Ia, and aph(3')-IIIa genes encoding tetracycline, streptomycin, and kanamycin resistance, respectively. This MRSA isolate also contained the lukF/lukS virulence gene encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Fifty-four (12.8%) additional nasal samples contained methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and one isolate/sample was characterized. A high diversity of spa types (n = 43; 4 new) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types (n = 37) was detected among the 55 recovered S. aureus strains. The percentages of antimicrobial resistance/detected resistance genes were as follows: tetracycline [22%/tet(K)-tet(L)-tet(M)], erythromycin [5%/msrA], ciprofloxacin [14.5%], trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [2%/dfrA], streptomycin [11%/ant(6)-Ia], kanamycin [7%/aph(3')-IIIa], amikacin [5%], and chloramphenicol [2%]. Four and two isolates carried the lukF/lukS and eta and/or etb genes, respectively, and always in individuals with contact with animals. Eleven isolates carried the tst gene and were recovered from individuals with different levels of contact with animals.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Slama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gharsa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klibi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jouini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Sanz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarazaga
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boudabous
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D008712:Methicillin