Characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bovine mastitis milk in South Korea: molecular characteristics, biofilm,virulence, and antimicrobial resistance

Hye Jeong Kang, Ju Yeon You, Seung Hoe Kim, Jin San Moon, Ha Young Kim, Jae Myeong Kim, Young Ju Lee, Hyun Mi Kang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a drug-resistant pathogen causing subclinical and clinical bovine mastitis. This study examined the molecular properties, biofilmformation, virulence genes, and antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA isolates from mastitis-infected dairy cow milk in South Korea. Whole-genome sequencing of an ST22-SCCmec IV MRSA strain positive for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) was also performed. Of the 488 S. aureus isolates, 30 (6.1%) were identifiedas MRSA, harboring the mecA gene. MRSA exhibited the highest resistance to kanamycin (66.7%) among non-beta-lactam antibiotics. Multidrug resistance was observed in 83.3% of MRSA isolates. All MRSA strains had the capacity to form biofilmand harbored biofilm-relatedgenes. The primary virulence genes included hla, hlb, lukED, seg, sei, sem, sen, and seo. The ST72-t324-SCCmec IV genotype was the most prevalent. Of note, three ST22-SCCmec IV isolates were positive for PVL and TSST-1. Our findingssuggest that the majority of MRSA isolates from milk obtained from dairy cows with mastitis are multidrug-resistant, capable of forming robust biofilms,and harbor multiple virulence genes. The presence of PVL- and TSST-1-positive ST22-SCCmec IV isolates in mastitis-infected bovine milk highlights the need for persistent monitoring to mitigate possible public health risks.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMicrobiology spectrum
Volume12
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2024

Keywords

  • antimicrobial resistance
  • biofilm
  • bovine mastitis
  • genotyping
  • MRSA
  • PVL
  • ST22
  • TSST-1
  • virulence

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