MRSA and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in U.S. retail meats, 2010–2011. (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ge, Beilei; Mukherjee, Sampa; Hsu, Chih-Hao; Davis, Johnnie A.; Tran, Thu Thuy T.; Yang, Qianru; Abbott, Jason W.; Ayers, Sherry L.; Young, Shenia R.; Crarey, Emily T.; Womack, Niketta A.; Zhao, Shaohua; McDermott, Patrick F.
• Is Part Of: Food microbiology. Volume 62(2017:Apr.)
• Page Start: 289
• Page End: 297
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: MRSA -- LA-MRSA -- ST398 -- USA300 -- MDRSA -- Retail meat; Food Microbiology -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Food -- Microbiology; Periodicals; Food -- Microbiology -- Periodicals; Food contamination -- Periodicals; 664.001579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2016.10.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0740-0020

Abstract

Abstract: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been detected in retail meats, although large-scale studies are scarce. We conducted a one-year survey in 2010–2011 within the framework of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. Among 3520 retail meats collected from eight U.S. states, 982 (27.9%) contained S. aureus and 66 (1.9%) were positive for MRSA. Approximately 10.4% (107/1032) of S. aureus isolates, including 37.2% (29/78) of MRSA, were multidrug-resistant (MDRSA). Turkey had the highest MRSA prevalence (3.5%), followed by pork (1.9%), beef (1.7%), and chicken (0.3%). Whole-genome sequencing was performed for all 66 non-redundant MRSA. Among five multilocus sequence types identified, ST8 (72.7%) and ST5 (22.7%) were most common and livestock-associated MRSA ST398 was assigned to one pork isolate. Eleven spa types were represented, predominately t008 (43.9%) and t2031 (22.7%). All four types of meats harbored t008, whereas t2031 was recovered from turkey only. The majority of MRSA (84.8%) possessed SCC mec IV and 62.1% harbored Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that all ST8 MRSA belonged to the predominant human epidemic clone USA300, and others included USA100 and USA200. We conclude that a diverse MRSA population was present in U.S. retail meats, albeit at low prevalence. Highlights: This is the largest study to date examining the prevalence of MRSA in retail meats. MRSA was found in 1.9% of 3520 retail beef/chicken/pork/turkey from 8 U.S. states. Most MRSA isolates (72.7%) belonged to the human epidemic clone ST8/USA300. One pork chop contained the livestock-associated MRSA ST398. MDRSA comprised 10.4% (107/1032) of all S. aureus recovered in the survey.