Journal
MICROBIAL DRUG RESISTANCE
Volume 27, Issue 8, Pages 1136-1143Publisher
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC
DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2020.0226
Keywords
MRSA; calves; swabs; northwest Italy
Funding
- EMIDA-ERA-NET [FP7KBBE]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of LA-MRSA in veal calf production in Italy, finding that about 30% of herds tested positive for MRSA with different clonal complexes and SCCmec types identified. Risk factors such as poor cleaning, importation from Austria, and animal age were identified, while the colonization of coagulase-negative staphylococci was predictive for MRSA occurrence. The ability of LA-MRSA clones to spread among different animal production systems in Italy was highlighted.
Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) have emerged worldwide as zoonotic pathogens. Data on LA-MRSA in veal calf production in Italy are lacking; the aim of this survey was to fill current knowledge gaps in its prevalence and characteristics. Between February 2012 and January 2013 nasal swabs were taken from 1650 three- to six-month-old veal calves on 55 farms in Piedmont (northwest Italy), including gathering-related epidemiological data. S. aureus were screened for methicillin resistance by phenotypic and molecular (mecA gene detection) methods. MRSA were further genotyped by multilocus sequence typing. About 30% of the herds tested positive for MRSA: three different clonal complexes (CC398, CC97, and CC1) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec types (IVa, IVb, and V) were detected. Multilevel logistic regression model indicated poor cleaning, importation from Austria, and animal age as risk factors and coagulase-negative staphylococci colonization as a predictive factor for the occurrence of MRSA. The detection of CCs circulating in pigs and dairy cattle in Italy underscores the ability of the LA-MRSA clones to spread among animal production systems. In addition to maintaining preventive control measures for human health, better cleaning procedures need to be implemented, especially after new calves have been introduced into the herd.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available