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Microbiological investigations on the transmission dynamics and clonality of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus and livestock-associated MRSA in pig-holdings in connection with the modelling of contact structures within pig herds
Project
Project code: BfR-BIOS-08-1322-649
Contract period: 01.01.2016
- 31.12.2016
Purpose of research: Applied research
Staphylococcus (S.) aureus and Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) as opportunistic human pathogens might cause different types of infection (in particular wound infections, skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonia). In the last years, it was shown that MRSA frequently occurred in livestock animals. These so-called livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) were mainly isolated from pigs and cattle. LA-MRSA did not only occur in the primary production but also at slaught and in food at retail. Genetic typing results have shown that mainly MRSA of the clonal complex (CC) 398 were detected in livestock and livestock farming. Besides findings in livestock, MRSA CC398 were also recovered from human specimens, in particular in regions characterized by a high density of pig (fattening/breeding) farms. Whether Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), and if, which genetic lineages occur in pigs is still largely unknown. Furthermore, factors driving the dissemination of MRSA in hospitals, among livestock and in the food chain are yet not known. The intra-herd spread as well as factors possibly promoting dissemination and persistence of MSSA/MRSA, or whether MSSA and MRSA are influencing each other also need to be evaluated. The current research project addresses these knowledge gaps by investigating the presence of MRSA/MSSA in a breeding pig farm where samples from individual sows and their environment will be taken over a longer time period. Since sows are marked with so-called ear tags allowing their individual positioning contact structures of single sows within the herd will be identified. In consequence, the evaluation of the transmission dynamics and persistence of MSSA and MRSA within a pig holding farm will be possible as well as the identification of contributing factors (e.g. environmental factors, specific clonal lineages and/or their characteristics).
Staphylococcus aureus and its Methicillin-resistant variant MRSA occur not only as opportunistic pathogens in humans, but also in livestock animals. The livestock-associated MRSA are mainly detected in pigs and cattle and mainly belong to the clonal complex (CC) 398. Within the project the occurence, spread and diversity of genetic types of MRSA and MSSA was investigated within a group of sows in a breeding facility in Schleswig-Holstein (LVZ Futterkamp) over a time period of 5 month. About 640 samples (mainly nasal swab samples of the sows) were taken and analyzed at the NRL-Staph. In 33 sows MRSA mainly of the spa types t011 (CC398) were found. MRSA were not detected several times within one animal and also not in environmental samples collected within the stable. MSSA of the spa types t1255, t1333, t1334, t1430, t16242, t16243, t2839, t337, t3446, t4132 t011, t034 and t11744 (this was the most prevalent) were found in 234 isolates of sows. During consecutive sampling MSSA were found several times in some animals (n=38), but the majority of animals (n=166) was tested positive for MSSA only once. Certain sows (n=13) were colonized with MRSA and MSSA at the same time. Overall, this study represents the diversity of S. aureus in pigs and provides the basis for further research projects analyzing the transmission of the bacterium within groups of pigs.
Section overview
Subjects
- Food microbiology
