title: Species and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) diversity among methicillin-resistant non-Staphylococcus aureus staphylococci isolated from pigs.
abstract: While methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST398 is known to be widespread in pig farms, few studies have investigated the species diversity and SCCmec types of methicillin-resistant non-S. aureus staphylococci (MRNAS) residing in the nose of pigs. We examined nasal swab samples of 200 pigs originating from 10 Belgian pig farms previously found positive for MRSA ST398. Suspected staphylococcal isolates were subjected to a 16S rRNA-mecA-nuc PCR. Confirmed MRNAS were genotypically identified to the species level and investigated with a SCCmec typing PCR. MRNAS (n=72) were detected on all 10 farms and were carried by 29.5% of the pigs. Seven MRNAS species were found: Staphylococcus epidermidis (38.9%), Staphylococcus sciuri (18.1%), Staphylococcus pasteuri (18.1%), Staphylococcus rostri (12.5%), Staphylococcus warneri (8.3%), Staphylococcus haemolyticus (2.7%) and Staphylococcus hominis (1.4%). SCCmec cassettes were of type IVa (29.2%), type IVc (25%), type III (22.2%), type V (5.6%) or could not be assigned to any of the known types (NT types) (18.1%). Five distinct NT types were found. The predominance of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE) in our samples is remarkable, as MRSE is mainly associated with humans. The finding of three different SCCmec elements (IVa, V, NT type 1) in MRNAS that also prevail or predominate in MRSA ST398 shows that MRNAS might be an important SCCmec reservoir for MRSA in pigs. Yet, the occurrence of multiple other SCCmec types illustrates that further studies are required to understand the presence and spread of SCCmec in methicillin-resistant staphylococci from animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Bacteriology, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Groeselenbergstraat 99, B-1180 Ukkel, Belgium. Wannes.Vanderhaeghen@var.fgov.be
authors.forename: Wannes
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vanderhaeghen
authors.forename: Stien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vandendriessche
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crombé
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dispas
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.forename: Katleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Butaye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001530:Belgium; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus