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Research Project: Monitoring and Molecular Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Foodborne Bacteria

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Title: Detection and molecular characterization of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from table eggs

Author
item SYED, MUHAMMAD - University Of Haripur
item SHAH, SYEDA - University Of Haripur
item SHERAFZAL, YASMIN - University Of Haripur
item SHAFI-UR-REHMAN, SYED - University Of Haripur
item KHAN, MUSHTAQ - University Of Haripur
item Barrett, John
item Woodley, Tiffanie
item JAMIL, BUSHRA - Comsats Institute Of Information Technology
item ABBASI, SHAHID - Al-Sayed Hospital
item Jackson, Charlene

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2017
Publication Date: 10/1/2017
Citation: Syed, M., Shah, S., Sherafzal, Y., Shafi-Ur-Rehman, S., Khan, M., Barrett, J.B., Woodley, T.A., Jamil, B., Abbasi, S., Jackson, C.R. 2017. Detection and molecular characterization of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from table eggs. Meeting Abstract. 5(2):86-93. 10.1089/fpd.2017.2336.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2017.2336

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Background: Table eggs are nutritionally important food consumed globally. Despite being protected inside the hard shell and a semi-permeable membrane, the egg contents may be contaminated with microbes and thus become a possible carrier of infectious agents to humans. A number of medically significant bacterial species such as Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica have already been reported from table eggs in previous studies. More important is the presence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains in table eggs. Aims and objectives: The present study was aimed at detection and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus from table eggs collected from different retail shops in Haripur city of Pakistan. Methodology: Staphylococci were isolated from 300 eggs collected from December, 2015 to May, 2016. S. aureus isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using broth microdilution and typed using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST), SCCmec typing and spa typing. The presence of Panton- Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) and antibiotic resistance genes were detected using PCR. Results: Staphylococci were isolated from 21.3% (64/300) of the table eggs tested. Of those, 59% (38/64) were identified as S. aureus of which 33 (86.8%) were positive for mecA (MRSA, methicillin-resistant S. aureus). All MRSA were multidrug resistant (resistant to two or more antimicrobial classes), were SCCmec type IV and pvl+. Two spa types (t657, t8645) and two sequence types (ST8 and ST772) were present in the isolates. Molecular typing by PFGE revealed that the bacterial population was highly homogenous with only two patterns observed. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of detection of pvl+ MRSA from table eggs.The genetic similarities of MRSA present in the eggs to that of humans may suggest human to poultry transmission of MRSA via contamination.