Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive strains of Staphylococcus sciuri in the Indonesian population

Detection of biofilm formation and antibiotics resistance of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from humans' and birds' oral cavities

Background

Staphylococcus spp. are widely distributed in nature and can cause nosocomial, skin infections, and foodborne illness, and it may lead to severe financial losses in birds by causing systemic infection in numerous organs.

Aim

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus spp. in humans and birds in Baghdad city.

Methods

Seventy-six oral cavity swabs were collected, including 41 from birds and 35 from breeders. All samples were examined by bacteriological methods and identified by using the VITEK technique, the samples were then further studied to test the ability of biofilm formation, and multidrug-resistant (MDR) factors and MAR index were tested with the use of seven antibiotics.

Results

Among the 76 oral swabs, 37 samples were positive (48.68%) for Staphylococcus spp.: 7 human samples (20%) and 30 bird samples (73.17%). In humans, Staphylococcus lentus was the most prevalent (42.85%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (28.57%), Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus sciuri were at (14.29%) to each. In birds, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus gallinarum, S. lentus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus spp, S. sciuri, and Staphylococcus xylosus were detected in 36.67%, 16.67%, 10%, 10%, 13.33%, 3.33% and 3.33%, respectively. Staphylococcus isolates from the human samples demonstrated that only S. lentus was resistant 33.33% to ME, OX, and SXT. Furthermore, one of them was MDR and high MAR index value. The antimicrobial pattern of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from birds was as follows S. pseudintermedius isolates demonstrated 100% resistance to CN, CIP, SXT, and MDR (100%) and high MAR indices value; S. xylosus was resistant 100% against ME, CN, SXT, and Do and it was MDR with high MAR index; S. lentus was resistant 25% against ME, OX, C, and SXT, whereas, S. gallinarum was resistant 33.33% against ME and OX. The results demonstrated that biofilm formation of the Staphylococcus spp. isolated from human samples were weak biofilm formers: S. lentus, S. hominis, and S. aureus, while other S. aureus (50%) was moderate. In birds, the majority of the isolates had non-biofilm-producing capabilities, while 80% of S. lentus and 100% of S. xylosus showed moderate biofilm formation.

Conclusion

Healthcare problem was observed in this study due to high MDR and MAR index among Staphylococcus spp. isolated from pet birds to their owners and vice versa.

Nasal and pharyngeal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus sciuri among hospitalised patients and healthcare workers in a Serbian university hospital

There has been a paucity of data on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus sciuri (MRSS) epidemiology in European healthcare settings. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of nasal and pharyngeal carriage and diversity of MRSS among inpatients and healthcare workers (HCWs) in the largest healthcare centre in Serbia, and to assess performance of different methods for MRSS screening. Nasal and pharyngeal swabs were obtained from 195 patients and 105 HCWs in different departments. Each swab was inoculated directly onto MRSA-ID, oxacillin-resistance screening agar and mannitol salt agar (MSA) with 2 mg/L of oxacillin. After inoculation, each swab was dipped in Mueller-Hinton broth with 6.5% NaCl and after overnight incubation, subcultured onto oxacillin-MSA. Characterisation of isolated MRSS strains was determined by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PFGE, SCCmec typing and antimicrobial resistance genes detection. MRSS nasal and pharyngeal carriage rate was high (5%) in our hospital and department-variable. PFGE revealed a possible cross-transmission of MRSS between a patient and an HCW, and dissemination across hospital wards. All analysed isolates were multidrug resistant. Fusidic acid resistance was discovered in 93.7% of isolates, but fusA mutations in EF-G and fusB/C genes were not detected. SCCmec regions of MRSS contained elements of classic methicillin-resistant S. aureus type III. Broth enrichment prior to isolation on oxacillin-MSA was superior to direct cultivation on different media with a sensitivity/specificity of 100% and 88.5%, respectively. MRSS is a significant coloniser of patients and HCWs in the hospital. Further research is needed to investigate the clinical significance of the bacterium in our settings.

Manual and expert annotation of the nearly complete genome sequence of Staphylococcus sciuri strain ATCC 29059: A reference for the oxidase-positive staphylococci that supports the atypical phenotypic features of the species group

Staphylococcus sciuri is considered to be one of the most ancestral species in the natural history of the Staphylococcus genus that consists of 48 validly described species. It belongs to the basal group of oxidase-positive and novobiocin-resistant staphylococci that diverged from macrococci approximately 250 million years ago. Contrary to other groups, the S. sciuri species group has not developed host-specific colonization strategies. Genome analysis of S. sciuri ATCC 29059 provides here the first genetic basis for atypical traits that would support the switch between the free-living style and the infective state in animals and humans. From among the most remarkable features, it was noticed in this extensive study that there were a number of phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase systems (PTS), almost twice as many as any other staphylococci, and the co-occurrence of mevalonate and non-mevalonate pathways for isoprenoid synthesis. The sequenced strain was devoid of the main virulence factors present in Staphylococcus aureus, although it exhibited numerous heme and iron acquisition systems, as well as crt and aldH genes necessary for gold pigment synthesis. The sensing and signaling networks, exemplified by a large and typical repertoire of two-component regulatory systems and a complete panel of master regulators, such as agr, rex, mgrA, rot, sarA and sarR genes, depict the background in which S. aureus virulence genes were later acquired. An additional sigma factor, a distinct set of electron transducer elements and many gene operons similar to those found in Bacillus spp. would constitute the most visible remnant links with Bacillaceae organisms.

Mannitol-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from nasal swab specimens in Brazil

The isolation of mannitol-negative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from nasal swabs is reported. Among the 59 isolates, 9 (15%) isolates were mannitol-negative; all of these isolates were categorized as staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IVa. This report emphasizes that mannitol fermentation on mannitol salt agar should not be used as the sole criterion when screening nasal swab specimens for S. aureus.

Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus harboring the mecA or Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes in hospitals in Java and Bali, Indonesia

Data of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in Indonesian hospitals are scarce. Therefore, the epidemiology of S. aureus among surgery patients in three academic hospitals in Indonesia was studied. In total, 366 of 1,502 (24.4%) patients carried S. aureus. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carriage rate was 4.3%, whereas 1.5% of the patients carried Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). Semarang and Malang city (odds ratio [OR] 9.4 and OR 9.0), being male (OR 2.4), hospitalization for more than 5 days (OR 11.708), and antibiotic therapy during hospitalization (OR 2.6) were independent determinants for MRSA carriage, whereas prior hospitalization (OR 2.5) was the only one risk factor for PVL-positive MSSA carriage. Typing of MRSA strains by Raman spectroscopy showed three large clusters assigned type 21, 24, and 38, all corresponding to ST239-MRSA-SCCmec type III. In conclusion, MRSA and PVL-positive MSSA are present among patients in surgical wards in Indonesian academic hospitals.