MRSA carrying mecC in captive mara.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), virulence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus ST130 isolated from mara (Dolichotis patagonum), a large rodent species native to South America and kept in captivity at Copenhagen Zoo.


METHODS
The presence of mecC was confirmed by PCR in 15 S. aureus ST130 isolated from mara during a previous study. WGS was performed on two randomly selected isolates to characterize their genomes with respect to SCCmec, virulence and resistance gene content. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using commercial broth microdilution tests.


RESULTS
All the isolates belonged to spa type t528 ST130 and carried mecC. Based on WGS, mecC was 100% identical to the prototype sequence of S. aureus strain LGA251. The sequence of SCCmec type XI in the mara isolates had 23 SNPs compared with the one described in LGA251. The two sequenced strains harboured a set of virulence factors and other genomic features previously observed in ST130. Both strains carried norA as the only putative antimicrobial resistance gene in addition to mecC.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the notion that a genetically conserved mecC-carrying MRSA ST130 clone is widespread in a variety of unrelated hosts in Denmark. Since the mara at Copenhagen Zoo have limited contact with humans and other animal species, it remains unclear whether mara are natural hosts of ST130 or acquired this lineage from unknown sources. The broad host range of MRSA ST130 supports its designation as a generalist lineage.
Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
C
C
Espinosa-Gongora
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
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EM
Harrison
Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
A
A
Moodley
Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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L
Guardabassi
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK mah1@cam.ac.uk.
M A
MA
Holmes
D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000382:microbiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003718:Denmark; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D037521:Virulence Factors
WGS; methicillin resistance; wildlife; zoo