Livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus on Polish pig farms.
BACKGROUND
Livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus (LA-SA) draws increasing attention due to its particular ability to colonize farm animals and be transmitted to people, which in turn leads to its spread in the environment. The aim of the study was to determine the dissemination of LA-SA on pig farms selected throughout Poland, characterize the population structure of identified S. aureus, and assess the prevalence of LA-SA carriage amongst farmers and veterinarians being in contact with pigs.


RESULTS
The study was conducted on 123 pig farms (89 farrow-to-finish and 34 nucleus herds), located in 15 out of 16 provinces of Poland. Human and pig nasal swabs, as well as dust samples were analyzed. S. aureus was detected on 79 (64.2%) farms from 14 provinces. Amongst these farms LA-SA-positive farms dominated (71/79, 89.9%, 95% CI [81.0%, 95.5%]). The prevalence of LA-MRSA-positive farms was lower than LA-MSSA-positive (36.6% of LA-SA-positive farms, 95% CI [25.5%, 48.9%] vs. 74.6%, 95% CI [62.9%, 84.2%]). In total, 190 S. aureus isolates were identified: 72 (38%) MRSA and 118 (62%) methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), of which 174 (92%) isolates were classified to three livestock-associated lineages: CC398 (73%), CC9 (13%), and CC30/ST433 (6%). All CC398 isolates belonged to the animal clade. Four LA-MRSA clones were detected: ST433-IVa(2B) clone (n = 8, 11%), described to the best of our knowledge for the first time, and three ST398 clones (n = 64, 89%) with the most prevalent being ST398-V(5C2&5)c, followed by ST398-V(5C2), and ST398-IVa(2B). Nasal carriage of LA-SA by pig farmers was estimated at 13.2% (38/283), CC398 carriage at 12.7% (36/283) and ST398-MRSA carriage at 3.2% (9/283), whereas by veterinarians at 21.1% (8/38), 18.4% (7/38) and 10.5% (4/38), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of LA-MRSA-positive pig farms in Poland has increased considerably since 2008, when the first MRSA EU baseline survey was conducted in Europe. On Polish pig farms CC398 of the animal clade predominates, this being also reflected in the prevalence of CC398 nasal carriage in farmers and veterinarians. However, finding a new ST433-IVa(2B) clone provides evidence for the continuing evolution of LA-MRSA and argues for further monitoring of S. aureus in farm animals.
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Aneta
A
Mroczkowska
Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
Jacek
J
Żmudzki
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Natalia
N
Marszałek
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Monika
M
Orczykowska-Kotyna
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Iga
I
Komorowska
Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
Agnieszka
A
Nowak
Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
Anna
A
Grzesiak
Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
Ewelina
E
Czyżewska-Dors
Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
Arkadiusz
A
Dors
Department of Swine Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
Zygmunt
Z
Pejsak
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.|Centre of Quality Control in Microbiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Waleria
W
Hryniewicz
Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Tomasz
T
Wyszomirski
Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Joanna
J
Empel
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002353:Carrier State / Q000662:veterinary*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D000067565:Farmers; D000072480:Farms; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock / Q000382:microbiology; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine / Q000382:microbiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C487789:mecA protein, Staphylococcus aureus