Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> from Peninsular Malaysian Animal Handlers: Molecular Profile, Antimicrobial Resistance, Immune Evasion Cluster and Genotypic Categorization
Minhian Chai,
Muhammad Zikree Sukiman,
Amirah Huda Kamarun Baharin,
Insyirah Ramlan,
Lennard Zhunhoong Lai,
Yeewen Liew,
Pavitra Malayandy,
Noor Muzamil Mohamad,
Siewshean Choong,
Siti Mariam Zainal Ariffin,
Mohd Faizal Ghazali
Affiliations
Minhian Chai
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Muhammad Zikree Sukiman
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Amirah Huda Kamarun Baharin
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Insyirah Ramlan
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Lennard Zhunhoong Lai
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Yeewen Liew
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Pavitra Malayandy
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Noor Muzamil Mohamad
Centralised Laboratory Management Centre, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Siewshean Choong
Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa 16100, Kelantan, Malaysia
Siti Mariam Zainal Ariffin
Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Mohd Faizal Ghazali
School of Animal, Aquatic and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut 22200, Terengganu, Malaysia
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in humans and animals, have become a significant concern globally. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiogram of S. aureus isolated from animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. Furthermore, the genotypic characteristics of S. aureus isolates were also investigated. Nasal and oral swab samples were collected from 423 animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. The antibiogram profiles of S. aureus against 18 antibiotics were established using a Kirby–Bauer test. The genotypic profile of S. aureus, including the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), virulence genes and spa genotypes, was investigated using molecular techniques. The overall carriage rate of S. aureus, MRSA and MDRSA was 30.5%, 1.2% and 19.4%, respectively. S. aureus was highly resistant against penicillin (72.3%) and amoxicillin (52.3%). Meanwhile, gentamicin and linezolid were fully effective against all the isolated S. aureus from animal handlers. It was observed that animal handlers with close exposure to poultry were more likely to carry S. aureus that is resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin. S. aureus isolates harboured tetracycline resistance (tetK, tetL and tetM), erythromycin resistance (ermA, ermB, ermC and msrA) and immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes (scn, chp, sak, sea and sep). Seventeen different spa types were detected among the 30 isolates of MDRSA, with t189 (16.7%) and t4171 (16.7%) being the predominant spa type, suggesting wide genetic diversity of the MDRSA isolates. The present study demonstrated the prevalence of S. aureus strains, including MRSA and MDRSA with various antimicrobial resistance and genetic profiles from animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia.
