EventsThe 3rd International Electronic Conference on Diversity
Event submissions
Published
This submission belongs to the session S4. Microbial Diversity and Culture Collections of the event The 3rd International Electronic Conference on Diversity
Published date
14 Oct, 2024
Academic Editor
author-avatarSamantha Karunarathna
Citation
Vanessa Silva, Manuela Caniça, Alexandra Nunes, João Paulo Gomes, Patrícia Poeta, Gilberto Igrejas, Wildlife as key reservoirs of Staphylococcus aureus genetic variants, in Proceedings of The 3rd International Electronic Conference on Diversity, 15 October–17 October 2024, MDPI: Basel, Switzerland
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Wildlife as key reservoirs of Staphylococcus aureus genetic variants

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Vanessa Silva 1
Manuela Caniça 2,3
Alexandra Nunes 4,5
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João Paulo Gomes 4,5
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Patrícia Poeta 6,7
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Gilberto Igrejas 7,8,9
1. Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV-REQUIMTE), University NOVA of Lisboa, Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal, Portugal
2. National Reference Laboratory of Antibiotic Resistances and Healthcare Associated Infections (NRL-AMR/HAI), Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal, Portugal
3. Centre for the Studies of Animal Science, Institute of Agrarian and Agri-Food Sciences and Technologies, Oporto University, Oporto, Portugal
4. Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Lisbon, Portugal, Portugal
5. Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University, Lisbon, Portugal
6. Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal, Portugal
7. Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV-REQUIMTE), University NOVA of Lisboa, Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
8. Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Functional Genomics and Proteomics’ Unit, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal, Portugal
9. Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
Abstract

S. aureus is a versatile pathogen capable of colonizing various hosts. Studying S. aureus in wildlife provides crucial insights into its ecology and evolution. Understanding the genetic diversity and distribution of these strains is essential for comprehending transmission dynamics, potential zoonotic risks, and the overall impact of wildlife reservoirs on public health and animal populations. This study compares different clonal lineages of S. aureus in wild animals, including owls, hares, rodents, and hedgehogs.

Mouth and rectal swab samples were collected from 204 wild rodents, 114 wild owls, 83 wild hares, and 110 wild hedgehogs. The samples were incubated in Brain Heart Infusion broth with 6.5% NaCl for 24 hours at 37°C. Subsequently, the inoculum was seeded onto Baird-Parker agar and CHROMagar MRSA. Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) and spa-typing were performed to investigate the genetic diversity of S. aureus isolates.

Three mecA-MRSA isolates were identified from hares, three from rodents, and two from hedgehogs. Additionally, one mecC-MRSA was isolated from owls, three from rodents, and three from hedgehogs. For MSSA, 22 isolates were found in owls, 28 in rodents, and 17 in hedgehogs. Regarding MLST and spa-typing, two mecC isolates from hedgehogs were ST130 (CC130) and spa-type t843, while another was ST49. The three mecC isolates from rodents were ST1945, and the owl isolate was ST1245; all belonged to CC130 and spa-types t1535 and t843. Most mecA-MRSA isolates were associated with human-related clonal lineages like CC8 (hedgehogs) and CC22 (rodents). The isolates from hares belonged to clonal lineages associated with rabbits for consumption (ST2855-t1190). The MSSA isolates showed high clonal diversity, including over 30 STs and 40 different spa-types.

These findings highlight the significant clonal diversity of S. aureus in wild animals, underscoring the importance of wildlife as reservoirs for various lineages, with implications for both animal and public health.

Keywords
Wildlife
Staphylococcus aureus
genetic lineages
public health
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