Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from food and wild animal carcasses in Italy.
Following the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST398 in food-producing animals, both livestock and wildlife, and derived products, are considered potential sources of MRSA in humans. There is a paucity of data on MRSA in foods in Italy, and the data regarding wild animals are particularly scarce. A total of 2162 food samples collected during official monitoring activities in 2008 were analyzed for the detection of S. aureus. Also, samples from 1365 wild animals collected by the National Reference Center for Wild Animal Diseases in 2003-2009 were subjected to anatomopathological examination. S. aureus isolates were processed for phenotypic and molecular methicillin resistance determinations. S. aureus was found in 2.0% of wild animal carcasses and in 3.2% of wild boar lymph nodes: none showed methicillin resistance. The prevalence of S. aureus in food was 17.1%. Two MRSA strains, both from bulk tank milk (prevalence 0.77%) were isolated: the strains were resistant to tetracycline, had spa-type t899, and were negative for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene. The low prevalence of MRSA suggests that the risk of transmission to humans via food is limited. However, attention should be paid to the cattle food chain, which may be a potential route of transmission of LA-MRSA.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Laboratorio Nazionale di Riferimento per gli stafilococchi coagulasi positivi compreso S. aureus, S.C. Controllo Alimenti e Igiene delle Produzioni, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: amarantatraversa@gmail.com.
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Traversa
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Laboratorio Nazionale di Riferimento per gli stafilococchi coagulasi positivi compreso S. aureus, S.C. Controllo Alimenti e Igiene delle Produzioni, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy.
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Gariano
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Laboratorio Nazionale di Riferimento per gli stafilococchi coagulasi positivi compreso S. aureus, S.C. Controllo Alimenti e Igiene delle Produzioni, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy.
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Gallina
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Laboratorio Nazionale di Riferimento per gli stafilococchi coagulasi positivi compreso S. aureus, S.C. Controllo Alimenti e Igiene delle Produzioni, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy.
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Bianchi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Malattie degli Animali Selvatici, S.C. Valle d'Aosta, Regione Amerique 7G, 11020 Quart, Aosta, Italy.
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Orusa
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Malattie degli Animali Selvatici, S.C. Valle d'Aosta, Regione Amerique 7G, 11020 Quart, Aosta, Italy.
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Domenis
AOU San Giovanni Battista, Laboratorio di Microbiologia, corso Bramante 88, 10126 Torino, Italy.
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Cavallerio
AOU San Giovanni Battista, Laboratorio di Microbiologia, corso Bramante 88, 10126 Torino, Italy.
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Fossati
AOU San Giovanni Battista, Laboratorio di Microbiologia, corso Bramante 88, 10126 Torino, Italy.
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Serra
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy; Laboratorio Nazionale di Riferimento per gli stafilococchi coagulasi positivi compreso S. aureus, S.C. Controllo Alimenti e Igiene delle Produzioni, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy.
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Decastelli
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006041:Goats; D006736:Horses; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011817:Rabbits; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bulk tank milk; Food; MRSA; Wild animal carcasses