title: The shared microbiota of humans and companion animals as evaluated from Staphylococcus carriage sites.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Staphylococcus aureus and other coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) colonize skin and mucous membrane sites and can cause skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in humans and animals. Factors modulating methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) colonization and infection in humans remain unclear, including the role of the greater microbial community and environmental factors such as contact with companion animals. In the context of a parent study evaluating the households of outpatients with community MRSA SSTI, the objectives of this study were 1) to characterize the microbiota that colonizes typical coagulase-positive Staphylococcus spp. carriage sites in humans and their companion pets, 2) to analyze associations between Staphylococcus infection and carriage and the composition and diversity of microbial communities, and 3) to analyze factors that influence sharing of microbiota between pets and humans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 25 households containing 56 pets and 30 humans. Sampling locations were matched to anatomical sites cultured by the parent study for MRSA and other CPS. Bacterial microbiota were characterized by sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA genes. Household membership was strongly associated with microbial communities, in both humans and pets. Pets were colonized with a greater relative abundance of Proteobacteria, whereas people were colonized with greater relative abundances of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. We did not detect differences in microbiota associated with MRSA SSTI, or carriage of MRSA, S. aureus or CPS. Humans in households without pets were more similar to each other than humans in pet-owning households, suggesting that companion animals may play a role in microbial transfer. We examined changes in microbiota over a 3-month time period and found that pet staphylococcal carriage sites were more stable than human carriage sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We characterized and identified patterns of microbiota sharing and stability between humans and companion animals. While we did not detect associations with MRSA SSTI, or carriage of MRSA, S. aureus or CPS in this small sample size, larger studies are warranted to fully explore how microbial communities may be associated with and contribute to MRSA and/or CPS colonization, infection, and recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd, 1007 Biomedical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Misic
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Meghan F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd, 1007 Biomedical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA.
authors.forename: Amanda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tyldsley
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd, 1007 Biomedical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA.
authors.forename: Brendan P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hodkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA.
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tolomeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA.
authors.forename: Baofeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA.
authors.forename: Irving
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nachamkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA ; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA.
authors.forename: Ebbing
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lautenbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA.
authors.forename: Daniel O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Blvd, 1007 Biomedical Research Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Grice
keywords: 16S rRNA; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); Microbiome; Pet; Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI); Staphylococcus