Characterization of erythromycin-resistant methylase genes from multiple antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus spp isolated from milk samples of lactating cows

Staphylococcus aureus in Some Brazilian Dairy Industries: Changes of Contamination and Diversity

Staphylococcus aureus, a major food-poisoning pathogen, is a common contaminant in dairy industries worldwide, including in Brazil. We determined the occurrence of S. aureus in five dairies in Brazil over 8 months. Of 421 samples, 31 (7.4%) were positive for S. aureus and prevalence varied from 0 to 63.3% between dairies. Sixty-six isolates from the 31 samples were typed by Multi-Locus Sequence Typing to determine if these isolates were persistent or continuously reintroduced. Seven known sequence types (STs), ST1, ST5, ST30, ST97, ST126, ST188 and ST398, and four new ST were identified, ST3531, ST3540, ST3562 and ST3534. Clonal complex (CC) 1 (including the four new ST), known as an epidemic clone, was the dominant CC. However, there were no indications of persistence of particular ST. The resistance toward 11 antibiotic compounds was assessed. Twelve profiles were generated with 75.8% of strains being sensitive to all antibiotic classes and no Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains were found. The enterotoxin-encoding genes involved in food-poisoning, e.g., sea, sed, see, and seg were targeted by PCR. The two toxin-encoding genes, sed and see, were not detected. Only three strains (4.5%) harbored seg and two of these also harbored sea. Despite the isolates being Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), the presence of CC1 clones in the processing environment, including some harboring enterotoxin encoding genes, is of concern and hygiene must have high priority to reduce contamination.

Mode of action and In Vitro susceptibility of mastitis pathogens to macedocin ST91KM and preparation of a teat seal containing the bacteriocin

Mastitis is considered to be the most economically costly disease affecting the dairy industry. Regular dosage of animals with antibiotics, including use of prophylactic concentrations, may select for resistant strains. The purpose of this study was to determine the mode of action of a new bacteriocin (macedocin ST91KM), to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance of mastitis pathogens to antibiotics commonly used in treatment remedies, and to introduce the possible use of an alternative antimicrobial agent. The bacteriocin macedocin ST91KM, produced by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus ST91KM, is bactericidal to Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Staphylococcus aureus associated with mastitis infections, including strains resistant to methicillin and oxacillin. Sensitive cells were deformed and secreted nucleotides, K(+) and β-galactosidase when exposed to macedocin ST91KM. Adsorption of the peptide to target cells decreased in the presence of solvents, suggesting that receptors on the cell surfaces have lipid moieties. No adsorption was recorded in the presence of MgCl2, KI and Na2CO3, suggesting that ionic strength plays an important role. A teat seal preparation containing macedocin ST91KM effectively released the peptide and inhibited the growth of S. agalactiae. Macedocin ST91KM could form the basis for alternative dry cow therapy to prevent mastitis infections in dairy cows as it is effective against pathogens that display resistance to conventional antibiotic therapy.

Bacteriocin ST91KM, produced by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus ST91KM, is a narrow-spectrum peptide active against bacteria associated with mastitis in dairy cattle

Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus ST91KM produces a bacteriocin (macedocin ST91KM) active against Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Macedocin ST91KM is, according to tricine-SDS PAGE, between 2.0 and 2.5 kDa in size. Antimicrobial activity remained unchanged after 2 h of incubation at pH 2.0-10.0 and after 100 min at 100 degrees C. The peptide was inactivated after 20 min at 121 degrees C and when treated with proteolytic enzymes. Treatment with alpha-amylase had no effect on activity, suggesting that the mode of action does not depend on glycosylation. Amplification of the genome of strain ST91KM with primers designed from the macedocin precursor gene (mcdA) produced 2 fragments (approximately 375 and 220 bp) instead of one 150-bp fragment, as recorded for macedocin produced by Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus ACA-DC 198. Strain ACA-DC 198 was not available. However, DNA amplified from strain LMG 18488 (ACA-DC 206), genetically closely related to strain ACA-DC 198, revealed 99% homology to the mcdA of strain ACA-DC 198 (accession No. DQ835394). Macedocin ST91KM may thus be a second putative bacteriocin described for Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and invasive ability of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from mastitis from dairy backyard systems

Fifteen (15) backyard farms were investigated to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility and invasion ability of S. aureus isolates from cows with subclinical mastitis in México. A total of 106 cows were sampled and 31 S. aureus isolates were recovered. S. aureus isolates were resistant to penicillin class antibiotics and susceptible to gentamicin and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. STA9 and STA13 isolates were resistant to erythromycin (MIC > 25 microg/ml) and lincomycin (STA13, MIC > 25 microg/ml; STA9, MIC > 100 microg/ml). STA9 isolate harbors the erm(B) and msr(A) genes, whereas STA13 isolate harbors the erm(C) gene. STA9 and STA13 isolates contains the lnu(A) gene. Only 5 isolates (STA11, STA13, STA14, STA15 and STA21) were able to internalize in bovine mammary epithelial cells. These results indicate that S. aureus isolates from dairy backyard farms showed differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and invasion ability in bovine mammary epithelial cells. This kind of evaluations should be performed in different dairy regions, since resistance patterns and isolate diversity vary on a per-region basis.

Genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among mastitis-causingStaphylococcus aureusisolated from bovine milk samples

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether particular antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of bovine mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus isolates were associated with specific S aureus genotypes.

SAMPLE POPULATION

357 S aureus isolates recovered from milk samples submitted for diagnostic bacteriologic testing from 24 dairy herds.

PROCEDURES

Antimicrobial susceptibility of S aureus isolates was assessed by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to 14 antimicrobial agents. After digestion of S aureus genomic DNA by SmaI, electrophoretic patterns were obtained via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and used to classify isolates into types. Gels were analyzed, and data were used to prepare dendrograms.

RESULTS

308 of 357 (86%) S aureus isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials evaluated. Forty-nine S aureus isolates were resistant to 1 or more antimicrobials; of these isolates, 37 were resistant only to penicillin, 9 were resistant to penicillin and erythromycin, 2 were resistant to tetracycline, and 1 was resistant to erythromycin. Isolates were assigned to 7 PFGE types. An association was found between PFGE type and antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Organisms with resistance to at least one of the tested antimicrobial agents were identified in only 4 of the 7 types of S aureus.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Antimicrobial resistance was uncommon among the mastitis-causing S aureus isolates identified in the milk samples. A limited number of genotypes were associated with mastitis in these herds. Antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were associated with particular S aureus PFGE types; this association may have implications for future treatment and control of S aureus-associated mastitis in cattle.

Trends in antimicrobial susceptibility in relation to antimicrobial usage and presence of resistance genes in Staphylococcus hyicus isolated from exudative epidermitis in pigs

From 1996 to 2001 a total of 467 Staphylococcus hyicus isolates from exudative epidermitis (EE) in pigs in Denmark were examined for susceptibility to 13 different antimicrobial agents. The presence of selected genes encoding macrolide (erm(A), erm(B) and erm(C)), penicillin (blaZ), streptogramin (vat, vga, vga(B), vat(B), vat(D) and vat(E)), streptomycin (aadE) and tetracycline resistance (tet(K), tet(L), tet(M) and tet(O)) were determined in selected isolates. The occurrence of erythromycin resistance increased from 33% in 1996 to a maximum of 62% in 1997 and decreased to 26% in 2001. Resistance to sulphametazole increased from 17% in 1996 to 30% in 1998 but has since decreased to 4% in 2001. Resistance to trimethoprim increased to 51% in 1997 and decreased to 21% in 2001. Resistance to tetracycline (21-31%) remained relatively constant during 1996-2000, but increased to 47% in 2001. Resistance to penicillin (54-75%) streptomycin (33-53%) and tetracycline (21-47%) remained relatively constant over the time investigated. All 48 penicillin resistant isolates examined contained the blaZ gene and 40 (85%) of the streptomycin resistant isolates the aadE gene. It was not possible to detect any streptogramin resistance gene in four streptogramin resistant isolates. Of the 55 erythromycin resistant isolates examined, five contained erm(A), 13 erm(B), 35 erm(C) and two both erm(A) and erm(C). The presence of erm(B) was confirmed by hybridization to plasmid profiles in all 13 PCR-positive isolates. Of 52 tetracycline resistant isolates examined, two contained tet(L), 38 tet(K) and 12 both tet(K) and tet(L).