Emerging Infectious Diseases (Mar 2021)

Transmission of Antimicrobial-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clonal Complex 9 between Pigs and Humans, United States

  • Pranay R. Randad,
  • Jesper Larsen,
  • Hülya Kaya,
  • Nora Pisanic,
  • Carly Ordak,
  • Lance B. Price,
  • Maliha Aziz,
  • Maya L. Nadimpalli,
  • Sarah Rhodes,
  • Jill R. Stewart,
  • Dave C. Love,
  • David Mohr,
  • Meghan F. Davis,
  • Lloyd S. Miller,
  • Devon Hall,
  • Karen C. Carroll,
  • Trish M. Perl,
  • Christopher D. Heaney

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2703.191775
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 3
pp. 740 – 748

Abstract

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Transmission of livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 9 (LA-SA CC9) between pigs raised on industrial hog operations (IHOs) and humans in the United States is poorly understood. We analyzed whole-genome sequences from 32 international S. aureus CC9 isolates and 49 LA-SA CC9 isolates from IHO pigs and humans who work on or live near IHOs in 10 pig-producing counties in North Carolina, USA. Bioinformatic analysis of sequence data from the 81 isolates demonstrated 3 major LA-SA CC9 clades. North Carolina isolates all fell within a single clade (C3). High-resolution phylogenetic analysis of C3 revealed 2 subclades of intermingled IHO pig and human isolates differing by 0–34 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Our findings suggest that LA-SA CC9 from pigs and humans share a common source and provide evidence of transmission of antimicrobial-resistant LA-SA CC9 between IHO pigs and humans who work on or live near IHOs in North Carolina.

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