title: Molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus from nasal samples of healthy farm animals and pets in Tunisia.
abstract: A total of 261 healthy farm and pet animals (75 cattle, 52 goats, 100 dogs, and 34 cats) from different regions of Tunisia were screened for Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage. Molecular typing of isolates (by spa- and multilocus sequence-typing) was performed, and their antimicrobial resistance and virulence genotypes were determined by PCR and sequencing. S. aureus isolates were detected in 17 of 261 tested samples (6.5%). All S. aureus isolates recovered were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA), and one isolate/sample was further studied. Eight different spa types were detected (t189, t279, t582, t701, t1166, t1268, t1534, and t1773), and eight different sequence types were identified (ST6, ST15, ST45, ST133, ST188, ST700 [clonal complex CC130], ST2057, and a new ST2121). MSSA from pets (six isolates) showed resistance to (number of isolates, resistance gene): penicillin (six, blaZ), tetracycline (one, tet[M]), erythromycin one, erm[A]), streptomycin (one, ant[6]-Ia), and ciprofloxacin (one). All isolates from farm animals showed susceptibility to the tested antimicrobials, except for two penicillin-resistant isolates. Five S. aureus isolates from goats and cats harbored the lukF/lukS-PV genes, encoding the Panton-Valentine leukocidin, and six isolates from goats harbored the tst virulence gene. In addition, diverse combinations of enterotoxin genes were detected, including two variants of the egc cluster. Goats and cats could represent a reservoir of important toxin genes, with potential implications in animal and human health.
authors.affiliation: 1 Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar , Tunis, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Haythem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gharsa
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Slama
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Sanz
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zarazaga
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Messadi
authors.forename: Abdellatif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boudabous
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D002353:Carrier State / Q000662:veterinary; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D004285:Dogs; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007956:Leukocidins / Q000235:genetics; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing / Q000662:veterinary*; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D057805:Pets; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007956:Leukocidins; C078284:Panton-Valentine leukocidin; D010406:Penicillins; D037521:Virulence Factors; D013752:Tetracycline; D008712:Methicillin
keywords: Animals; Nasal carriage; Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL); Staphylococcus aureus; Tunisia; toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1)