Molecular epidemiological characteristics and genetic evolutionary relationships of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of different avian origins in Qingdao, China, using whole-genome sequencing

To understand the prevalence of avian methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the current status of drug resistance in Qingdao, a comprehensive molecular epidemiological investigation and analysis of evolutionary relationships of MRSA isolates from broiler and layer chickens and waterfowl was conducted.

Material and Methods

One hundred and two avian MRSA strains were identified by multi-locus sequence typing, staphylococcal protein A (spa) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and whole-genome sequencing.

Results

The sequence type (ST) 9-t899-SCCmec IVb type represented the highest proportion of avian-derived MRSA strains (71.57%), with ST398 type strains occasionally observed in broilers and waterfowl. The poultry-derived MRSA strains were all resistant to eight or more antimicrobials. Avian-derived MRSA strains carried 20 resistance genes, 109 virulence genes and 10 plasmids. Strains carrying the cfr oxazolidinone resistance gene were occasionally seen in broiler- and layer-derived MRSA. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) core genome evolution and locus difference analysis showed that the closest strains were all of ST9-t899 type (to which also affiliated the highest number of strains) and this type occurred on all three kinds of poultry farm, but the SNP difference loci between strains of the same type ranged from 0 to 1472.

Conclusion

The dominant type of MRSA from different poultry sources in Qingdao is ST9-t899-SCCmec IVb, which is commonly resistant to a variety of antimicrobial drugs and carries a variety of resistance genes and a large number of virulence genes. Sequence type 9-t899 type is widely spread among the three kinds of poultry investigated, but there are differences in affiliations.

Language:: English

Publication timeframe:: 4 times per year
Journal Subjects:: Life Sciences, Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Virology, Life Sciences, other, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine

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Molecular epidemiological characteristics and genetic evolutionary relationships of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of different avian origins in Qingdao, China, using whole-genome sequencing

Zhen Xiao

Zhina Qu

Na Liu

Juan Wang

Jianmei Zhao

Junhui Liu

Lin Wang

Xiumei Huang

Qingqing Zhang

Yubin Gao

Junwei Wang

Zhiyong Yu

Jiajia Guan

Huanqi Liu

Published Online: Jun 16, 2023

Page range: 169 - 177

Received: Nov 02, 2022

Accepted: Jun 12, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0035

KeywordsMRSA, poultry, whole genome sequencing, SNP

© 2023 Zhen Xiao et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction

Material and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords
MRSA, poultry, whole genome sequencing, SNP