<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and Methicillin Resistant <i>S. aureus</i> in Nepalese Primates: Resistance to Antimicrobials, Virulence, and Genetic Lineages
Marilyn C. Roberts,
Prabhu Raj Joshi,
Stefan Monecke,
Ralf Ehricht,
Elke Müller,
Darius Gawlik,
Celia Diezel,
Sascha D. Braun,
Saroj Paudel,
Mahesh Acharya,
Laxman Khanal,
Narayan P. Koju,
Mukesh Chalise,
Randall C. Kyes
Affiliations
Marilyn C. Roberts
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
Prabhu Raj Joshi
Nepalese Farming Institute, Maitidevi, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Stefan Monecke
Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies Leibniz-IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany
Ralf Ehricht
Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies Leibniz-IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany
Elke Müller
Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies Leibniz-IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany
Darius Gawlik
PTC—Phage Technology Center GmbH, 59199 Bönen, Germany
Celia Diezel
Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies Leibniz-IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany
Sascha D. Braun
Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies Leibniz-IPHT), 07745 Jena, Germany
Saroj Paudel
Nepalese Farming Institute, Maitidevi, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Mahesh Acharya
Nepalese Farming Institute, Maitidevi, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Laxman Khanal
Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44613, Nepal
Narayan P. Koju
Center for Postgraduate Studies, Nepal Engineering College, Pokhara University, Lalitpur 44800, Nepal
Mukesh Chalise
Nepal Biodiversity Research Society and Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu 44613, Nepal
Randall C. Kyes
Washington National Primate Research Center, Center for Global Field Study, Departments of Psychology, Global Health, Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Staphylococcus aureus is a ubiquitous pathogen and colonizer in humans and animals. There are few studies on the molecular epidemiology of S. aureus in wild monkeys and apes. S. aureus carriage in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and Assam macaques (Macaca assamensis) is a species that has not previously been sampled and lives in remote environments with limited human contact. Forty Staphylococcus aureus isolates including 33 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and seven methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were characterized. Thirty-four isolates were from rhesus macaques and six isolates (five MSSA, one MRSA) were from Assam macaques. Isolates were characterized using StaphyType DNA microarrays. Five of the MRSA including one from Assam macaque were CC22 MRSA-IV (PVL+/tst+), which is a strain previously identified in Nepalese rhesus. One MRSA each were CC6 MRSA-IV and CC772 MRSA-V (PVL+). One MSSA each belonged to CC15, CC96, and CC2990. Six MRSA isolates carried the blaZ, while ten known CC isolates (seven MRSA, three MSSA) carried a variety of genes including aacA-aphD, aphA3, erm(C), mph(C), dfrA, msrA, and/or sat genes. The other 30 MSSA isolates belonged to 17 novel clonal complexes, carried no antibiotic resistance genes, lacked Panton–Valentine Leukocidin (PVL), and most examined exotoxin genes. Four clonal complexes carried egc enterotoxin genes, and four harbored edinB, which is an exfoliative toxin homologue.
