title: Carriage of meticillin-resistant staphylococci between humans and animals on a small farm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meticillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) are pathogens of increasing importance to human and animal health worldwide. Transmission of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) between animals and humans has been well documented. By contrast, information about transmission of other Staphylococcus spp. is limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to screen animals and humans on a small farm for nasal carriage of MRS and to assess interspecies exchange.
  
  
  METHODS
  After detection of MRSA in a lung sample of a deceased cat, which lived on a small mixed farm, nasal swabs were taken within two weeks, four and 16 months from other animals of various species and humans living on the farm. Swabs were cultured for MRS which were then characterized molecularly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MRSA and meticillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MRCoNS), including Staphylococcus haemolyticus, S. epidermidis and S. fleurettii, were isolated from humans and different animal species. Typing of the MRS revealed isolates with the same characteristics in different human and animal hosts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of carriage of both MRSA and MRCoNS among humans and various animals within a shared environment. The detection of strains with indistinguishable molecular characteristics strongly suggested transmission of these MRS between the various animal species and humans.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, A-1210, Austria.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Loncaric
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, Clinic of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, A-1210, Austria.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Künzel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klang
authors.affiliation: Vetderm-Service, Dr R Wagner GmbH, A-3820, Raabs, Austria.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Theresia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Licka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, A-1210, Austria.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grunert
authors.affiliation: Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Neustadt-Mariensee, Höltystrasse. 10, D-31535, Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Feßler
authors.affiliation: LABOKLIN GmbH & Co. KG, D-97688, Bad Kissingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dorothe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geier-Dömling
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, A-1210, Austria.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosengarten
authors.affiliation: Alere Technologies GmbH, Loebstedter Strasse 103-105, D-07749, Jena, Germany.|InfectoGnostics Forschungscampus, Philosophenweg 7, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Alere Technologies GmbH, Loebstedter Strasse 103-105, D-07749, Jena, Germany.|InfectoGnostics Forschungscampus, Philosophenweg 7, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Annett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reissig
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, Vienna, A-1210, Austria.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spergser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Neustadt-Mariensee, Höltystrasse. 10, D-31535, Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.affiliation: Alere Technologies GmbH, Loebstedter Strasse 103-105, D-07749, Jena, Germany.|InfectoGnostics Forschungscampus, Philosophenweg 7, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ehricht
authors.affiliation: Alere Technologies GmbH, Loebstedter Strasse 103-105, D-07749, Jena, Germany.|InfectoGnostics Forschungscampus, Philosophenweg 7, D-07743, Jena, Germany.|Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Technical University of Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monecke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000662:veterinary; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects*