AUTHOR=Alkuraythi Dalal M. , Alkhulaifi Manal M. , Binjomah Abdulwahab Z. , Alarwi Mohammed , Mujallad Mohammed I. , Alharbi Saleh Ali , Alshomrani Mohammad , Gojobori Takashi , Alajel Sulaiman M. 

TITLE=Comparative genomic analysis of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients and retail meat

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1339339

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2023.1339339

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> is a significant human pathogen that poses a threat to public health due to its association with foodborne contamination and a variety of infections. The factors contributing to the pathogenicity of <italic>S. aureus</italic> include virulence, drug resistance, and toxin production, making it essential to monitor their prevalence and genetic profiles. This study investigated and compared the genomic characteristics of <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from retail meat and patients in Saudi Arabia.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 136 <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates were obtained between October 2021 and June 2022:84 from patients and 53 from meat samples in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates were identified using conventional methods and MALDI-TOF MS, and methicillin-resistant <italic>S. aureus</italic> (MRSA) was identified using VITEK2 and BD Phoenix systems. MRSA was confirmed phenotypically using chromogenic agar, and genotypically by detecting <italic>mec</italic>A. Genomic data were analyzed using BactopiaV2 pipeline, local BLAST, and MLST databases.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Antibiotic resistance genes were prevalent in both meat and patient <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates, with high prevalence of <italic>tet</italic>38, <italic>bla</italic>Z, and <italic>fos</italic>B. Notably, all <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from patients carried multidrug-resistant (MDR) genes, and a high percentage of <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from meat also harbored MDR genes. Phenotypically, 43% of the <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from meat and 100% of the patients’ isolates were MDR. Enterotoxin genes, including <italic>sel</italic>X, <italic>sem</italic>, and <italic>sei</italic>, exhibited high compatibility between meat and patient <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates. Virulence genes such as <italic>cap, hly/hla, sbi</italic>, and <italic>isd</italic> were found in all <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from both sources.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Our study established a genetic connection between <italic>S. aureus</italic> isolates from meat and patients, showing shared antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. The presence of these genes in meat derived isolates underscores its role as a reservoir. Genomic relatedness also suggests potential transmission of resistance between different settings. These findings emphasize the necessity for a comprehensive approach to monitor and control <italic>S. aureus</italic> infections in both animals and humans.</p></sec>