Comparison of Staphylococcus aureus isolates associated with food intoxication with isolates from human nasal carriers and human infections

Staphylococcus aureus represents an organism of striking versatility. While asymptomatic nasal colonization is widespread, it can also cause serious infections, toxinoses and life-threatening illnesses in humans and animals. Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), one of the most prevalent causes of foodborne intoxication worldwide, results from oral intake of staphylococcal enterotoxins leading to violent vomiting, diarrhea and cramps shortly upon ingestion. The aim of the present study was to compare isolates associated with SFP to isolates collected from cases of human nasal colonization and clinical infections in order to investigate the role of S. aureus colonizing and infecting humans as a possible source of SFP. Spa typing and DNA microarray profiling were used to characterize a total of 120 isolates, comprising 50 isolates collected from the anterior nares of healthy donors, 50 isolates obtained from cases of clinical infections in humans and 20 isolates related to outbreaks of staphylococcal food poisoning. Several common spa types were found among isolates of all three sources (t015, t018, t056, t084). DNA microarray results showed highly similar virulence gene profiles for isolates from all tested sources. These results suggest contamination of foodstuff with S. aureus colonizing and infecting food handlers to represent a source of SF

The inflammatory response of primary bovine mammary epithelial cells to Staphylococcus aureus strains is linked to the bacterial phenotype

Staphylococcus aureus is a major mastitis-causing pathogen in dairy cows. The latex agglutination-based Staphaurex test allows bovine S. aureus strains to be grouped into Staphaurex latex agglutination test (SLAT)-negative [SLAT(2)] and SLATpositive [SLAT(+)] isolates. Virulence and resistance gene profiles within SLAT(2) isolates are highly similar, but differ largely from those of SLAT(+) isolates. Notably, specific genetic changes in important virulence factors were detected in SLAT(2) isolates. Based on the molecular data, it is assumed that SLAT(+) strains are more virulent than SLAT(2) strains. The objective of this study was to investigate if SLAT(2) and SLAT(+) strains can differentially induce an immune response with regard to their adhesive capacity to epithelial cells in the mammary gland and in turn, could play a role in the course of mastitis. Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC) were challenged with suspensions of heat inactivated SLAT(+) (n = 3) and SLAT(2) (n = 3) strains isolated from clinical bovine mastitis cases. After 1, 6, and 24 h, cells were harvested and mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators (TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-8, RANTES, SAA, lactoferrin, GM-CSF, COX-2, and TLR-2) was evaluated by reverse transcription and quantitative PCR. Transcription (DDCT) of most measured factors was induced in challenged bMEC for 6 and 24 h. Interestingly, relative mRNA levels were higher (P,0.05) in response to SLAT(+) compared to SLAT(2) strains. In addition, adhesion assays on bMEC also showed significant differences between SLAT(+) and SLAT(2) strains. The present study clearly shows that these two S. aureus strain types cause a differential immune response of bMEC and exhibit differences in their adhesion capacity in vitro. This could reflect differences in the severity of mastitis that the different strain types may induce

Wild type agr-negative livestock-associated MRSA exhibits high adhesive capacity to human and porcine cells

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections and a major public health concern worldwide. During the last decade, MRSA of CC398 have emerged as important colonizers of livestock. These strains also represent an increasing cause of human infections. A recent study reporting a new dominant spa type among MRSA from Finish fattening pigs (CC398/t2741) identified a strain lacking both the global virulence regulator gene locus agr and the adhesion gene fnbB. The aim of this study was to characterize this agr/fnbB-negative livestock-associated MRSA strain in terms of growth, hemolysis and adhesive capacity, and to provide data on its genomic background. To this end, growth curves and hemolysis patterns were generated and adhesion assays on human keratinocyte and porcine nasal mucosa cell lines were performed. Whole genome sequencing was used to determine the nature and extent of the relevant deletions in the livestock strains. For comparison, an agr-positive, fnbB-negative CC398/t2741 strain from the same pig herd, an agr/fnbB- positive CC398/t034 strain from another pig herd and one human MRSA strain and its isogenic Δagr knockout mutant were used. The agr-negative strains adhered significantly better to human and porcine host cells than the agr-positive control strains. For the agr-positive porcine MRSA strains, cytotoxic effects on porcine mucosal cells were observed. The strong adhesive capacity of the naturally agr-negative livestock-associated MRSA, in combination with diminished cytotoxic effects, is likely favorable for inducing persistent colonization in pigs. Independently of the host cell type, similar adhesive capacities of the naturally agr-negative livestock-associated MRSA and the human MRSA strain were shown. Our results indicate that loss of agr in the livestock-associated MRSA strain investigated in this study may have increased its potential to be transmitted to and amongst humans

Engagement für und mit Geflüchteten. Reflexionen zur Zivilgesellschaft

Daphi P, Stern V. Engagement für und mit Geflüchteten. Reflexionen zur Zivilgesellschaft. In: Johler R, Lange J, eds. Konfliktfeld Fluchtmigration: Historische und ethnographische Perspektiven. Bielefeld: Transcript; 2019: 265-280

Effect of food-related stress conditions and loss of agr and sigB on seb promoter activity in S. aureus

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Effect of food-related stress conditions and loss of agr and sigB on seb promoter activity in S. aureus journaltitle: Food Microbiology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2017.03.006 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Effect of food-related stress conditions and loss of agr and sigB on seb promoter activity in S. aureus journaltitle: Food Microbiology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2017.03.006 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Effect of food-related stress conditions and loss of agr and sigB on seb promoter activity in S. aureus journaltitle: Food Microbiology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2017.03.006 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Effect of food-related stress conditions and loss of agr and sigB on seb promoter activity in S. aureus journaltitle: Food Microbiology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2017.03.006 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Microarray-based characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from chicken carcasses

A total of 34 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from flock-wise pooled chicken neck skin samples collected at two abattoirs during slaughter were characterized with DNA microarray analysis and spa typing. The 20 isolates from abattoir A all belonged to clonal complex (CC) 12 and spa type t160. Of the 14 isolates from abattoir B, 7 belonged to CC5–t3478, 5 to CC12–t160, 1 to CC45–t040, and 1 to CC101–t056. Of the various resistance-associated genes tested, only blaZ/R/I (6 isolates of CC12 and CC101 from abattoir B), sdrM (n = 34), fosB (n = 33), and qacC (n = 22) were detected. None of the isolates harbored genes conferring methicillin resistance. In terms of genes encoding enterotoxins, seb (all isolates of CC12), egc (seg, sei, selm, seln, selo, selu; all isolates of CC5 and CC45), and sea (14 isolates of CC12 and 1 isolate of CC5) were found. In addition, all isolates harbored genes for intracellular adhesion proteins (icaA/C/D) and were positive for cap5 or cap8 (capsule type 5 or 8). Comparison of DNA microarray profiles identified four categories comprising (i) all isolates of CC12, (ii) all isolates of CC5, (iii) the CC45 isolate, and (iv) the CC101 isolate. The high similarity of the isolates from abattoir A could indicate contamination of chicken carcasses with S. aureus persisting on the slaughter equipment, but further investigations are required to elucidate potential contamination routes

Noncontiguous finished genome sequence of Staphylococcus aureus KLT6 - a seb positive strain involved in a food poisoning outbreak in Switzerland in 2009

We present the first complete genome sequence of a Staphylococcus aureus strain assigned to clonal complex 12. The strain was isolated in a food poisoning outbreak due to contaminated potato salad in Switzerland in 2009, and it produces staphylococcal enterotoxin B