FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Dermatol / Are all meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) eq...
Veterinary dermatology2012; 23(4); 267-e54; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01072.x

Are all meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) equal in all hosts? Epidemiological and genetic comparison between animal and human MRSA.

Abstract: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) continues to pose a major threat to human health. In animals, MRSA has become established as a veterinary pathogen in pets and horses; in livestock, it presents a concern for public health as a reservoir that can infect humans and as a source of transferrable resistance genes. Genetic analyses have revealed that the epidemiology of MRSA is different in different animal hosts. While human hospital-associated MRSA lineages are most commonly involved in pet infection and carriage, horse-specific MRSA most often represent 'traditional' equine S. aureus lineages. A recent development in the epidemiology of animal MRSA is the emergence of pig-adapted strains, such as CC398 and CC9, which appear to have arisen independently in the pig population. Recent insight into the genome structure and the evolution of S. aureus has helped to explain key aspects of these three distinct epidemiological scenarios. This nonsystematic literature review summarizes the structure and variations of the S. aureus genome and gives an overview of the current distribution of MRSA lineages in various animal species. It also discusses present knowledge about the emergence and evolution of MRSA in animals, adaptation to different host species and response to selective pressure from animal-specific environments. An improved understanding of the genetics and selective pressure that underpin the adaptive behaviour of S. aureus may be used in the future to predict new developments in staphylococcal diseases and to investigate novel control strategies required at a time of increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents.
© 2012 The Authors. Veterinary Dermatology © 2012 ESVD and ACVD.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2012-07-25 PubMed ID: 22823579DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01072.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article examines the differences in the epidemiology and genetics of Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in various animal hosts, focusing on its establishment as a veterinary pathogen in pets and horses, and its emergence in livestock such as pigs.

Genetic and Epidemiological Differences in MRSA

  • The study emphasizes that while MRSA poses a significant threat to human health, its epidemiology varies greatly within different animal hosts.
  • Genetic analyses have found that human hospital-associated MRSA lineages are most commonly involved in pet infections and carriage. Horse-specific MRSA, on the other hand, often represent traditional equine S. aureus lineages.
  • The study also notes the emergence of MRSA strains adapted specifically to pigs, such as CC398 and CC9. These appear to have independently arisen within pig populations.

Insight into The S. aureus Genome

  • The researchers review the structure and variations within the S. aureus genome to better understand its impact on the epidemiological variations.
  • Increased understanding of the genome can help explain key aspects of the three primary epidemiological scenarios explored in this study – pet infection, horse infection, and pig-adapted strains.

MRSA Lineage Distribution and Evolution

  • The article also provides an overview of the current distribution of MRSA lineages across various animal species, offering an insight into the growth and spread of MRSA within these species.
  • It discusses the existing knowledge on the emergence and evolution of MRSA in animals, including adaptations the bacteria has made to different host species and environments.

MRSA Control and Management Strategies

  • The research highlights that improved understanding of the genetics and selective pressure that drives the adaptive behaviour of S. aureus can be used to predict future developments in staphylococcal diseases.
  • This knowledge could also enable researchers to develop novel control strategies required in managing the bacteria, especially due to increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents.

Cite This Article

APA
McCarthy AJ, Lindsay JA, Loeffler A. (2012). Are all meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) equal in all hosts? Epidemiological and genetic comparison between animal and human MRSA. Vet Dermatol, 23(4), 267-e54. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01072.x

Publication

Veterinary dermatology
ISSN: 1365-3164
NlmUniqueID: 9426187
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 23
Issue: 4
Pages: 267-e54

Researcher Affiliations

McCarthy, Alex J
  • Centre for Infection, Division of Clinical Sciences, St George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK.
Lindsay, Jodi A
    Loeffler, Anette

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
      • Genome, Bacterial
      • Humans
      • Methicillin / pharmacology
      • Methicillin Resistance
      • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / classification
      • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
      • Staphylococcal Infections / epidemiology
      • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
      • Staphylococcal Infections / veterinary

      Citations

      This article has been cited 32 times.
      1. Peña-Mosca F, Gaire TN, Dean C, Ferm P, Manriquez D, Pinedo P, Noyes N, Caixeta L. Exploring the phylogenetic diversity and antimicrobial activity of non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci isolated from teat apices of organic dairy cows. Front Microbiol 2025;16:1614488.
        doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1614488pubmed: 40959218google scholar: lookup
      2. Caddey B, Fisher S, Barkema HW, Nobrega DB. Companions in antimicrobial resistance: examining transmission of common antimicrobial-resistant organisms between people and their dogs, cats, and horses. Clin Microbiol Rev 2025 Mar 13;38(1):e0014622.
        doi: 10.1128/cmr.00146-22pubmed: 39853095google scholar: lookup
      3. Turchi B, Campobasso C, Nardinocchi A, Wagemans J, Torracca B, Lood C, Di Giuseppe G, Nieri P, Bertelloni F, Turini L, Ruffo V, Lavigne R, Di Luca M. Isolation and characterization of novel Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage Hesat from dairy origin. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024 Apr 15;108(1):299.
        doi: 10.1007/s00253-024-13129-ypubmed: 38619619google scholar: lookup
      4. Alkuraythi DM, Alkhulaifi MM, Binjomah AZ, Alarwi M, Aldakhil HM, Mujallad MI, Alharbi SA, Alshomrani M, Alshahrani SM, Gojobori T, Alajel SM. Clonal Flux and Spread of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Meat and Its Genetic Relatedness to Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Patients in Saudi Arabia. Microorganisms 2023 Dec 6;11(12).
        doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11122926pubmed: 38138070google scholar: lookup
      5. Cheung GYC, Otto M. Virulence Mechanisms of Staphylococcal Animal Pathogens. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Sep 26;24(19).
        doi: 10.3390/ijms241914587pubmed: 37834035google scholar: lookup
      6. Silva V, Monteiro A, Pereira JE, Maltez L, Igrejas G, Poeta P. MRSA in Humans, Pets and Livestock in Portugal: Where We Came from and Where We Are Going. Pathogens 2022 Sep 27;11(10).
        doi: 10.3390/pathogens11101110pubmed: 36297167google scholar: lookup
      7. Rao S, Linke L, Magnuson R, Jauch L, Hyatt DR. Antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus collected from livestock, poultry and humans. One Health 2022 Dec;15:100407.
        doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100407pubmed: 36277090google scholar: lookup
      8. Salgado BAB, Waters EM, Moran JC, Kadioglu A, Horsburgh MJ. Selection of Staphylococcus aureus in a murine nasopharyngeal colonization model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022;12:874138.
        doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.874138pubmed: 35992161google scholar: lookup
      9. Silva V, Correia S, Rocha J, Manaia CM, Silva A, García-Díez J, Pereira JE, Semedo-Lemsaddek T, Igrejas G, Poeta P. Antimicrobial Resistance and Clonal Lineages of Staphylococcus aureus from Cattle, Their Handlers, and Their Surroundings: A Cross-Sectional Study from the One Health Perspective. Microorganisms 2022 Apr 30;10(5).
        doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10050941pubmed: 35630384google scholar: lookup
      10. Campos B, Pickering AC, Rocha LS, Aguilar AP, Fabres-Klein MH, de Oliveira Mendes TA, Fitzgerald JR, de Oliveira Barros Ribon A. Diversity and pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus from bovine mastitis: current understanding and future perspectives. BMC Vet Res 2022 Mar 24;18(1):115.
        doi: 10.1186/s12917-022-03197-5pubmed: 35331225google scholar: lookup
      11. Addis MF, Pisanu S, Monistero V, Gazzola A, Penati M, Filipe J, Di Mauro S, Cremonesi P, Castiglioni B, Moroni P, Pagnozzi D, Tola S, Piccinini R. Comparative secretome analysis of Staphylococcus aureus strains with different within-herd intramammary infection prevalence. Virulence 2022 Dec;13(1):174-190.
        doi: 10.1080/21505594.2021.2024014pubmed: 35030987google scholar: lookup
      12. Cvetnić L, Samardžija M, Duvnjak S, Habrun B, Cvetnić M, Jaki Tkalec V, Đuričić D, Benić M. Multi Locus Sequence Typing and spa Typing of Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated from the Milk of Cows with Subclinical Mastitis in Croatia. Microorganisms 2021 Mar 31;9(4).
        doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9040725pubmed: 33807376google scholar: lookup
      13. Park S, Ronholm J. Staphylococcus aureus in Agriculture: Lessons in Evolution from a Multispecies Pathogen. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021 Mar 17;34(2).
        doi: 10.1128/CMR.00182-20pubmed: 33568553google scholar: lookup
      14. Zondervan NA, Martins Dos Santos VAP, Suarez-Diez M, Saccenti E. Phenotype and multi-omics comparison of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus uncovers pathogenic traits and predicts zoonotic potential. BMC Genomics 2021 Feb 4;22(1):102.
        doi: 10.1186/s12864-021-07388-6pubmed: 33541265google scholar: lookup
      15. Abdeen EE, Mousa WS, Abdelsalam SY, Heikal HS, Shawish RR, Nooruzzaman M, Soliman MM, Batiha GE, Hamad A, Abdeen A. Prevalence and Characterization of Coagulase Positive Staphylococci from Food Products and Human Specimens in Egypt. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021 Jan 14;10(1).
        doi: 10.3390/antibiotics10010075pubmed: 33466771google scholar: lookup
      16. Schmitt S, Stephan R, Huebschke E, Schaefle D, Merz A, Johler S. DNA microarray-based characterization and antimicrobial resistance phenotypes of clinical MRSA strains from animal hosts. J Vet Sci 2020 Jul;21(4):e54.
        doi: 10.4142/jvs.2020.21.e54pubmed: 32735092google scholar: lookup
      17. Kittl S, Brodard I, Heim D, Andina-Pfister P, Overesch G. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Swiss Pigs and Their Relation to Isolates from Farmers and Veterinarians. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020 Feb 18;86(5).
        doi: 10.1128/AEM.01865-19pubmed: 31836575google scholar: lookup
      18. Kozajda A, Jeżak K, Kapsa A. Airborne Staphylococcus aureus in different environments-a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Dec;26(34):34741-34753.
        doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-06557-1pubmed: 31654301google scholar: lookup
      19. Petinaki E, Spiliopoulou I. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infection risks from companion animals: current perspectives. Vet Med (Auckl) 2015;6:373-382.
        doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S91313pubmed: 30101122google scholar: lookup
      20. Schulz D, Grumann D, Trübe P, Pritchett-Corning K, Johnson S, Reppschläger K, Gumz J, Sundaramoorthy N, Michalik S, Berg S, van den Brandt J, Fister R, Monecke S, Uy B, Schmidt F, Bröker BM, Wiles S, Holtfreter S. Laboratory Mice Are Frequently Colonized with Staphylococcus aureus and Mount a Systemic Immune Response-Note of Caution for In vivo Infection Experiments. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017;7:152.
        doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00152pubmed: 28512627google scholar: lookup
      21. Mroczkowska A, Żmudzki J, Marszałek N, Orczykowska-Kotyna M, Komorowska I, Nowak A, Grzesiak A, Czyżewska-Dors E, Dors A, Pejsak Z, Hryniewicz W, Wyszomirski T, Empel J. Livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus on Polish pig farms. PLoS One 2017;12(2):e0170745.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170745pubmed: 28151984google scholar: lookup
      22. VAN Balen JC, Landers T, Nutt E, Dent A, Hoet AE. Molecular epidemiological analysis to assess the influence of pet-ownership in the biodiversity of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA in dog- and non-dog-owning healthy households. Epidemiol Infect 2017 Apr;145(6):1135-1147.
        doi: 10.1017/S0950268816003228pubmed: 28091338google scholar: lookup
      23. Del Rosso JQ, Rosen T, Thiboutot D, Webster GF, Gallo RL, Leyden JJ, Walker C, Zhanel G, Eichenfield L. Status Report from the Scientific Panel on Antibiotic Use in Dermatology of the American Acne and Rosacea Society: Part 3: Current Perspectives on Skin and Soft Tissue Infections with Emphasis on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Commonly Encountered Scenarios when Antibiotic Use May Not Be Needed, and Concluding Remarks on Rational Use of Antibiotics in Dermatology. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2016 Jun;9(6):17-24.
        pubmed: 27386047
      24. Bierowiec K, Płoneczka-Janeczko K, Rypuła K. Is the Colonisation of Staphylococcus aureus in Pets Associated with Their Close Contact with Owners?. PLoS One 2016;11(5):e0156052.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156052pubmed: 27227897google scholar: lookup
      25. Velasco V, Buyukcangaz E, Sherwood JS, Stepan RM, Koslofsky RJ, Logue CM. Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus from Humans and a Comparison with İsolates of Animal Origin, in North Dakota, United States. PLoS One 2015;10(10):e0140497.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140497pubmed: 26484768google scholar: lookup
      26. Krupa P, Bystroń J, Podkowik M, Empel J, Mroczkowska A, Bania J. Population Structure and Oxacillin Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from Pigs and Pork Meat in South-West of Poland. Biomed Res Int 2015;2015:141475.
        doi: 10.1155/2015/141475pubmed: 26064878google scholar: lookup
      27. Schinasi L, Wing S, Augustino KL, Ramsey KM, Nobles DL, Richardson DB, Price LB, Aziz M, MacDonald PD, Stewart JR. A case control study of environmental and occupational exposures associated with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in patients admitted to a rural tertiary care hospital in a high density swine region. Environ Health 2014 Jun 23;13(1):54.
        doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-13-54pubmed: 24958086google scholar: lookup
      28. Latronico F, Moodley A, Nielsen SS, Guardabassi L. Enhanced adherence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius sequence type 71 to canine and human corneocytes. Vet Res 2014 Jun 24;45(1):70.
        doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-45-70pubmed: 24957656google scholar: lookup
      29. Vincze S, Stamm I, Kopp PA, Hermes J, Adlhoch C, Semmler T, Wieler LH, Lübke-Becker A, Walther B. Alarming proportions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in wound samples from companion animals, Germany 2010-2012. PLoS One 2014;9(1):e85656.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085656pubmed: 24465637google scholar: lookup
      30. Missiakas DM, Schneewind O. Growth and laboratory maintenance of Staphylococcus aureus. Curr Protoc Microbiol 2013 Feb;Chapter 9:Unit 9C.1.
        doi: 10.1002/9780471729259.mc09c01s28pubmed: 23408134google scholar: lookup
      31. Moodley A, Espinosa-Gongora C, Nielsen SS, McCarthy AJ, Lindsay JA, Guardabassi L. Comparative host specificity of human- and pig- associated Staphylococcus aureus clonal lineages. PLoS One 2012;7(11):e49344.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049344pubmed: 23166643google scholar: lookup
      32. McCarthy AJ, van Wamel W, Vandendriessche S, Larsen J, Denis O, Garcia-Graells C, Uhlemann AC, Lowy FD, Skov R, Lindsay JA. Staphylococcus aureus CC398 clade associated with human-to-human transmission. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012 Dec;78(24):8845-8.
        doi: 10.1128/AEM.02398-12pubmed: 23042163google scholar: lookup
      Subscribe to our newsletter
      Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.