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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Anim Sci / Outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequ...
Veterinary and animal science2022; 17; 100259; doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2022.100259

Outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 1, spa type t1784, in an equine hospital in Japan.

Abstract: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has often been isolated from livestock and companion animals, including horses. Seven cases of MRSA infection in Thoroughbred racehorses were observed in an equine hospital in Japan in 2020. In this study, MRSA isolates from these seven horses and nine veterinarians in the equine hospital were studied to examine their genetic relatedness and evaluate the possibility of MRSA transmission. The MRSA isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing for multi-locus sequence typing, S. aureus protein A (spa) typing, staphylococcal cassette chromosome typing, and antimicrobial resistance gene detection. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics were assessed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility phenotype of the isolates. Phylogenetic trees based on single nucleotide polymorphisms were constructed to identify genetically close isolates. All isolates from horses and veterinarians belonged to sequence type (ST) 1, spa type t1784, with a point mutation in gyrA and double point mutations in grlA, which is known to cause fluoroquinolone resistance. All ST1-t1784 isolates were genetically closely related based on the phylogenetic tree. Our results suggested an outbreak and horse-veterinarian transmission of ST1-t1784 strains in an equine hospital.
© 2022 The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2022-06-25 PubMed ID: 35800153PubMed Central: PMC9253831DOI: 10.1016/j.vas.2022.100259Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 researchers investigated an outbreak of drug-resistant bacteria, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), in a horse hospital in Japan. They found that the infecting strain was genetically similar among the infected thoroughbred horses and veterinarians, suggesting possible transmission between the two groups.

Research Objectives

  • The study aimed at examining MRSA samples from infected horses and veterinarians in a horse hospital in Japan to understand their genetic relationship and estimate the possibilities of MRSA transmission.
  • The researchers also analyzed the genetic mutations leading to drug resistance, and resistance gene detection.

Methods and Procedures

  • The MRSA samples obtained from the seven infected horses and nine veterinarians were subjected to various lab procedures to study their genetic makeup.
  • These lab tests included multi-locus sequence typing and Staphylococcus aureus protein A () typing to examine the specific characteristics of the MRSA strain.
  • Minimum inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics were analyzed to understand the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates.
  • The difference in genetic sequences (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms – SNPs) were used to construct phylogenetic trees to identify genetically similar samples.

Results

  • All MRSA samples exhibited a specific Sequence Type (ST)1 and spa type t1784. This genetic makeup was observed in both the horses and the veterinarians, suggesting a common strain causing the infections.
  • A point mutation in and double point mutations in were detected, known to cause fluoroquinolone resistance, providing insight into the antibiotic resistance characteristics of the MRSA strain.
  • The phylogenetic tree, based on SNPs, showed that all ST1-t1784 isolates were closely related, indicating a common origin of the infections.

Conclusions

  • The study provides evidence of an outbreak and a horse-veterinarian transmission of ST1-t1784 MRSA strains in a horse hospital in Japan.
  • Understanding the genetic characteristics of such infectious strains helps in developing targeted treatment strategies and improving control measures against MRSA transmission.

Cite This Article

APA
Uchida-Fujii E, Niwa H, Kanai K, Kinoshita Y, Kuroda T, Nukada T, Ueno T. (2022). Outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 1, spa type t1784, in an equine hospital in Japan. Vet Anim Sci, 17, 100259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vas.2022.100259

Publication

Veterinary and animal science
ISSN: 2451-943X
NlmUniqueID: 101694897
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 17
Pages: 100259

Researcher Affiliations

Uchida-Fujii, Eri
  • Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Shiba 1400-4, Shinotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
Niwa, Hidekazu
  • Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Shiba 1400-4, Shinotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
Kanai, Kota
  • Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association, Mikoma 2500-2, Miho, Inashiki, Ibaraki 300-0493, Japan.
Kinoshita, Yuta
  • Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Shiba 1400-4, Shinotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
Kuroda, Taisuke
  • Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association, Mikoma 2500-2, Miho, Inashiki, Ibaraki 300-0493, Japan.
Nukada, Toshio
  • Ritto Training Center, Japan Racing Association, Mishono 1028, Ritto, Shiga 520-3085, Japan.
Ueno, Takanori
  • Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Shiba 1400-4, Shinotsuke, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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This article includes 11 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Wesołowska M, Szczuka E. Analysis of Staphylococcal Diversity in the Skin Microbiota of Healthy Riding Horses. Antibiotics (Basel) 2025 Oct 16;14(10).
    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics14101037pubmed: 41148728google 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.
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    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13080713pubmed: 39200013google scholar: lookup
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