ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1547283
This article is part of the Research TopicAntimicrobial Resistance: Tracking and Tackling in the Food ChainView all 3 articles
Genomic epidemiology and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from raw milk in Jilin, China: revealed contamination of optrA-positive, cfrA-positive, poxtA-positive strains in human and livestock transmission
Provisionally accepted
- 1Xichang College, Xichang, China
- 2Xichang Agriculture and Rural Bureau, Xichang, China, xichang, China
- 3Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology College, Jilin, Jilin, China
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Jilin Province is the primary region for dairy cow and milk production in China. There are few reports on the genetic characteristics, antibiotic resistance, and prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in raw milk. Between 2021 and 2022, researchers identified 214 S. aureus strains, with a prevalence of 42.8% in cattle farms in Jilin. Among 214 strains, twenty-two isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were identified, with 13 exhibiting prevalent antibiotic resistance. Penicillin exhibited the highest resistance rate (145/214, 67.76%). The profiles of drug resistance, pathogenicity, genetic traits, and biofilm were examined through whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 44 isolates, including 22 MRSA strains and 22 methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strains. Of the 44 isolates, 25 (56.82%) exhibited multiple resistance, while 31 (70.45%) demonstrated drug resistance characteristics. We identified 12 distinct types of drug resistance genes, including those associated with tetracycline, quaternary ammonium salt disinfection, and β-lactam. Six strains exhibited genes conferring resistance to linezolid. Aur and hlgA/B/C virulence genes were identified in a minimum of 90% of strains, with ST9-t899 emerging as the predominant type. Human-livestock transmission may be present, as indicated by SNP and WGS data. The isolate exhibited increased resistance. Moreover, strong biofilm formation was observed among MRSA than MSSA. The isolates exhibited multiple drug resistance, a broad spectrum of drug resistance, and various drug resistance phenotypes. CC398 and CC9 have the potential to be transmitted from humans to livestock, as evidenced by the identification of 22 CC9 and 15 CC15 strains among 44 isolates. The OptrA, cfrA, and poxtA genes were identified in five, seven, and one strains, respectively, indicating contamination within the population. Given that raw milk is a fundamental food source, it is essential to monitor the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus to guarantee food safety and hygiene.From a One Health perspective, monitoring and controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from food-producing animals to humans is essential for public health.
Keywords: raw milk, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Drug Resistance, Genetic characteristics, whole genome sequencing
Received: 18 Dec 2024; Accepted: 21 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Ma, Gu, Yang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chunhua Li, Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology College, Jilin, Jilin, China
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