Study about the dissemination of staphylococci in the retails shops and hospital with focus on Staphylococcus aureus.
Staphylococci, particularly Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are significant contributors to serious healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Lately, the genetic differences between HA-MRSA, CA-MRSA, and LA-MRSA have shifted, and shared clones of MSSA and MRSA are found in humans, livestock, as well as retail meat. This study aimed to compare the MRSA isolates from humans and meat to understand the genetic characteristics and similarities between the circulating clones across both groups. A total of 250 samples of meat (camel, beef, chicken, fish, and lamb) were collected from different retailers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Positive Staphylococci isolates were subjected to molecular typing, and 53 S. aureus isolates were identified out of which 79% (n=42) were MSSA and 21% (n=11) were MRSA. In comparison, 80 molecularly confirmed clinical MRSA isolates were obtained from patients in the same city. The most common S. aureus clone in patients and retail meat was clonal complex (CC5), also nearly half of the MRSA isolated from meat and patients belonged to CC5. While there was no MRSA found in beef, camel meat had the highest prevalence of MRSA ST6-t2450 contamination. The other two clones, CC97 and CC361, were the second-most prevalent clones in meat and were relatively common among patients. Novel S. aureus lineages were sequenced and characterized for the first time ST8109 from meat and ST8110 and ST8111 from patients. Further investigation on S. aureus considering its dissemination, genetic characterization, antibiotic resistance, and overall impact on food intended for human consumption and its effect on human health is needed. A structured One Health initiative is also needed locally to estimate and face the continuous growth of MRSA and other pathogens in the population.