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. 2024 May;43(5):969-977.
doi: 10.1007/s10096-024-04802-1. Epub 2024 Mar 22.

Whole genome sequencing and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with bacteraemia in Slovenia

Urška Dermota  1 , Andraž Celar Šturm  2 , Tina Triglav  2 , Katja Strašek Smrdel  2 , Ivana Velimirović  2
Affiliations

Whole genome sequencing and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with bacteraemia in Slovenia

Urška Dermota et al. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2024 May.

Abstract

Purpose: Data on the molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients with bacteraemia in Slovenia are lacking. The aim of this study was to phenotypically and genotypically investigate 82 MRSA strains isolated from patients with bloodstream infections in central Slovenia between 2019 and 2022.

Methods: Whole-genome sequencing of selected strains was performed to characterize the strains based on sequence typing, antimicrobial resistance, toxin, and virulence factors genes.

Results: Most MRSA carried SCCmec II (63.4%), followed by SCCmec IV (34.1%) and SCCmec V (2.5%). A high proportion of strains belonging to the ST225 lineage (45.1%) was observed, followed by ST97 (18.3%), ST2883 (15.9%), ST22 (9.8%), ST5 (3.7%), and the ST1, ST398 and ST45 lineages (2.4% each). Sixteen different spa types were identified, predominantly ST225-t003 (31.7%), ST97-t359 (15.9%), and ST2883-t4336 (14.6%). None of the strains carried Panton-Valentine leukocidin, exfoliative toxins, or toxic shock toxin. All MRSA strains were susceptible to linezolid, rifampicin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. MRSA strains were resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline and gentamicin, with a frequency of 74.4%, 74.4%, 8.5%, and 1.2%, respectively.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that bacteraemia in central Slovenia is caused by diverse MRSA lineages. Identification of newly emerged lineages should be followed in the future to detect changes in the molecular epidemiology of MRSA in our country.

Keywords: Bloodstream infections; MRSA; Slovenia; Whole genome sequencing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Neighbour joining tree of 82 MRSA isolates, based on cgMLST allelic differences of 1861 alleles. The blue circles and orange squares represent presence or absence of select virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, respectively
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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