Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in humans, Europe.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant public health concern.
• Sequence type 398 (ST398) is a notable MRSA strain often associated with livestock.
• Understanding the prevalence of specific MRSA strains in human populations is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the proportion of human MRSA isolates that were sequence type 398 (ST398) in Europe.
• To identify geographical hotspots for livestock-associated MRSA ST398 in human infections.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted in 2007 involving 24 laboratories across 17 European countries.
• Data on MRSA isolates from human sources were collected and analyzed for sequence type, specifically focusing on ST398.

Main Results:

• Livestock-associated MRSA ST398 represented a small fraction of all MRSA isolates from human sources.
• The majority of identified MRSA ST398 human isolates were concentrated in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Austria.

Conclusions:

• MRSA ST398 is not a dominant strain among human infections in Europe.
• Geographical clustering of MRSA ST398 in specific European countries suggests localized transmission dynamics, likely linked to livestock contact.