title: Characterization of Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusIsolated from Healthy Turkeys and Broilers Using DNA Microarrays.
abstract: Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a major human health problem and recently, domestic animals are described as carriers and possible reservoirs. Twenty sevenS. aureusisolates from five turkey farms (n= 18) and two broiler farms (n= 9) were obtained by culturing of choana and skin swabs from apparently healthy birds, identified by Taqman-based real-time duplexnuc-mecA-PCR and characterized byspatyping as well as by a DNA microarray based assay which covered, amongst others, a considerable number of antibiotic resistance genes, species controls, and virulence markers. The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were tested by agar diffusion assays and genotypically confirmed by the microarray. Five differentspatypes (3 in turkeys and 2 in broilers) were detected. The majority of MRSA isolates (24/27) belonged to clonal complex 398-MRSA-V. The most frequently occurringspatypes were accordingly t011, t034, and t899. A single CC5-MRSA-III isolated from turkey and CC398-MRSA with an unidentified/truncated SCCmecelement in turkey and broiler were additionally detected. The phenotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles ofS. aureusisolated from both turkeys and broilers against 14 different antimicrobials showed that all isolates were resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin, oxacillin, doxycycline, and tetracycline. Moreover, allS. aureusisolated from broilers were resistant to erythromycin and azithromycin. All isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, sulphonamides, and fusidic acid. The resistance rate against ciprofloxacin was 55.6% in broiler isolates and 42.1% in turkey isolates. All tetracycline resistant isolates possessed genestetK/M. All erythromycin-resistant broiler isolates carriedermA. Only one broiler isolate (11.1%) carried genesermA, ermB, andermC, while 55.6% of turkey isolates possessedermA andermB genes. Neither PVL genes (lukF/S-PV), animal-associated leukocidin (lukM andluk-P83) nor the gene encoding the toxic shock syndrome toxin (tst1) were found in turkey and broiler isolates. In conclusion, the detection of MRSA in healthy turkeys and broilers with even additional antibiotic resistance markers is of major public health concern. The difference in antibiotic resistance and virulence markers between MRSA isolates from turkeys and broilers was addressed.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and ZoonosesJena, Germany; Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh UniversityKafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hosny
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Adawy
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, FoundationHannover, Germany; Department of Animal Hygiene and Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura UniversityMansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Marwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hotzel
authors.affiliation: Alere Technologies GmbHJena, Germany; InfectoGnostics Research Campus Jena e. V.Jena, Germany; Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monecke
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.affiliation: Alere Technologies GmbHJena, Germany; InfectoGnostics Research Campus Jena e. V.Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ehricht
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Poultry Diseases, Free University Berlin Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hafez M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hafez
keywords: MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotics; broiler; genotyping; microarray; turkey