title: Transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus CC398 from livestock veterinarians to their household members.
abstract: There are indications that livestock-associated MRSA CC398 has a reduced human-to-human transmissibility, limiting its impact on public health and justifying modified control measures. This study determined the transmissibility of MRSA CC398 from livestock veterinarians to their household members in the community as compared to MRSA non-CC398 strains. A one-year prospective cohort study was performed to determine the presence of MRSA CC398 in four-monthly nasal and oropharyngeal samples of livestock veterinarians (n  =  137) and their household members (n  =  389). In addition, a cross-sectional survey was performed to detect the presence of MRSA non-CC398 in hospital derived control patients (n  =  20) and their household members (n  =  41). Staphylococcus aureus isolates were genotyped by staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing and multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Mean MRSA CC398 prevalence over the study period was 44% (range 41.6-46.0%) in veterinarians and 4.0% (range 2.8-4.7%) in their household members. The MRSA CC398 prevalence in household members of veterinarians was significantly lower than the MRSA non-CC398 prevalence in household members of control patients (PRR 6.0; 95% CI 2.4-15.5), indicating the reduced transmissibility of MRSA CC398. The impact of MRSA CC398 appears to be low at the moment. However, careful monitoring of the human-to-human transmissibility of MRSA CC398 remains important.
authors: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands; Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors: Erwin
authors: E
authors: Verkade
authors: Amphia Academy Infectious Disease Foundation, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors: Marjolein
authors: M
authors: Kluytmans-van den Bergh
authors: Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: van Benthem
authors: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands; Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands; Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Brigitte
authors: B
authors: van Cleef
authors: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors: Miranda
authors: M
authors: van Rijen
authors: Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Thijs
authors: T
authors: Bosch
authors: Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Leo
authors: L
authors: Schouls
authors: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands; Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, VU University medical centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Kluytmans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000235:genetics*; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D018634:Veterinarians
chemical_list: D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A