Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug;131(2):615-622.
doi: 10.1111/jam.14988. Epub 2021 Jan 11.

Linezolid-resistant MRSA-CC398 carrying the cfr gene, and MRSA-CC9 isolates from pigs with signs of infection in Spain

L Ruiz-Ripa  1 , A Bellés-Bellés  2 , R Fernández-Fernández  1 , M García  2 , A Vilaró  3 , M Zarazaga  1 , C Torres  1
Affiliations

Linezolid-resistant MRSA-CC398 carrying the cfr gene, and MRSA-CC9 isolates from pigs with signs of infection in Spain

L Ruiz-Ripa et al. J Appl Microbiol. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Aims: To perform the molecular characterization of 23 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from pigs with signs of infections recovered in Spanish farms during 2018-2019.

Methods and results: The antimicrobial resistance pattern and virulence profile were determined. The molecular typing was performed by different molecular techniques. The transferability of the cfr gene was assessed by conjugation and its genetic environment was determined by PCR mapping. In all, 21 isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carrying the mecA gene (SCCmecV or non-typeable SCCmec), whereas the remaining two were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA). All but one MRSA isolates (n = 20) belonged to the CC398, being the spa t011 the most prevalent (n = 11). The remaining MRSA and the two MSSA isolates were ascribed to ST9/CC9. The S. aureus isolates exhibited resistance to (number of resistant isolates): β-lactamics (21), erythromycin and/or clindamycin (20), aminoglycosides (7), tetracycline (22), fluoroquinolones (14), chloramphenicol (5) and linezolid (1). The S. aureus isolates did not carry any of the virulence genes studied. One MRSA belonging to the CC398 showed linezolid resistance mediated by the cfr gene. The cfr gene was co-located with fexA in the Tn558 variant previously reported in the S. aureus plasmid pSCFS7.

Conclusions: Two major livestock-associated genetic lineages were detected among pigs with signs of infection in Spain. The presence of the cfr gene among LA-MRSA-CC398 is of great concern not only for veterinary medicine, but also for humans in close contact.

Significance and impact of the study: This work describes the molecular characterization of S. aureus isolates recovered from pigs with signs of infection and we report, as far as we know, the first description of MRSA-CC9 from pigs in Spain. Moreover, the detection of a MRSA-CC398 isolate carrying the multiresistance cfr gene highlights the need for continuous surveillance and awareness of LA-MRSA.

Keywords: cfr; CC398; CC9; MRSA; linezolid; pigs.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Antonelli, A., D’Andrea, M.M., Brenciani, A., Galeotti, C.L., Morroni, G., Pollini, S., Varaldo, P.E. and Rossolini, G.M. (2018) Characterization of poxtA, a novel phenicol-oxazolidinone-tetracycline resistance gene from an MRSA of clinical origin. J Antimicrob Chemother 73, 1763-1769.
    1. Battisti, A., Franco, A., Merialdi, G., Hasman, H., Iurescia, M., Lorenzetti, R., Feltrin, F., Zini, M. et al. (2010) Heterogeneity among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Italian pig finishing holdings. Vet Microbiol 142, 361-366.
    1. Benito, D., Gómez, P., Aspiroz, C., Zarazaga, M., Lozano, C. and Torres, C. (2015) Molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from humans related to a livestock farm in Spain, with detection of MRSA-CC130 carrying mecC gene: A zoonotic case? Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 34, 280-285.
    1. Butaye, P., Argudín, M.A. and Smith, T.C. (2016) Livestock-associated MRSA and its current evolution. Curr Clin Microbiol Reports 3, 19-31.
    1. Cafini, F., Nguyen, L.T.T., Higashide, M., Román, F., Prieto, J. and Morikawa, K. (2016) Horizontal gene transmission of the cfr gene to MRSA and Enterococcus: role of Staphylococcus epidermidis as a reservoir and alternative pathway for the spread of linezolid resistance. J Antimicrob Chemother 71, 587-592.

MeSH terms