title: Genetic and phenotypic characterization of methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from veterinary hospitals in South Korea.
abstract: Staphylococci were isolated from veterinary staff, hospitalized animals, and medical equipment from 2 major tertiary veterinary hospitals in South Korea to investigate antimicrobial resistance and genetic relatedness. The detection rate for staphylococci was 55.2% (111/201 samples), and 11 species were identified among the collected staphylococcal strains. The most prevalent species were Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (52/111, 46.8%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (21/111, 18.9%), and Staphylococcus aureus (19/111, 17.1%). The methicillin-resistance rates of staphylococci isolated from veterinary staff and medical equipment were higher than those from hospitalized animals. The genotype of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains in the current study was sequence type (ST)72-SCCmec IVc-t324, which is similar to the genotype of prevalent MRSA strains in human beings and food animals in South Korea. Among the mecA-positive S. pseudintermedius isolates, SCCmec V was most prevalent in strains originating from both veterinary staff and hospitalized animals. SCCmec IVa was detected in methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis, whereas SCCmec IVc was found in other methicillin-resistant, coagulase-negative staphylococci. The SCCmec typing, antimicrobial susceptibility tests, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis results showed that methicillin-resistant staphylococci dissemination between hospitalized animals and veterinary staff is possible in South Korean veterinary hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK 21 Program for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bo Youn
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jung-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Sook
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yong Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000662:veterinary; D005838:Genotype; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial