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Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Preparation and Gene Modification of Nonhuman Primate Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Published on: February 15, 2019
Transmission of MDR MRSA between primates, their environment and personnel at a United States primate centre
Olusegun O Soge1, David No2, Karen E Michael2
1Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Objectives:
MDR MRSA isolates cultured from primates, their facility and primate personnel from the Washington National Primate Research Center were characterized to determine whether they were epidemiologically related to each other and if they represented common local human-associated MRSA strains.
Methods:
Human and primate nasal and composite environmental samples were collected, enriched and selected on medium supplemented with oxacillin and polymyxin B. Isolates were biochemically verified as Staphylococcus aureus and screened for the mecA gene. Selected isolates were characterized using SCCmec typing, MLST and WGS.
Results:
Nasal cultures were performed on 596 primates and 105 (17.6%) were MRSA positive. Two of 79 (2.5%) personnel and two of 56 (3.6%) composite primate environmental facility samples were MRSA positive. Three MRSA isolates from primates, one MRSA from personnel, two environmental MRSA and one primate MSSA were ST188 and were the same strain type by conventional typing methods. ST188 isolates were related to a 2007 ST188 human isolate from Hong Kong. Both MRSA isolates from out-of-state primates had a novel MLST type, ST3268, and an unrelated group. All isolates carried ≥1 other antibiotic resistance gene(s), including tet(38), the only tet gene identified.
Conclusions:
ST188 is very rare in North America and has almost exclusively been identified in people from Pan-Asia, while ST3268 is a newly reported MRSA type. The data suggest that the primate MDR MRSA was unlikely to come from primate centre employees. Captive primates are likely to be an unappreciated source of MRSA.
Insights
Multidrug-resistant Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in primates at a research center was investigated. The study found that MRSA strains in primates were not linked to personnel, suggesting primates may be a significant source of MRSA.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Veterinary Medicine
Background:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant pathogen in both human and animal health.
- Understanding the epidemiology of MRSA in non-human primates is crucial for research settings and public health.
- The Washington National Primate Research Center aimed to investigate MRSA strains within its facility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if MRSA isolates from primates, their environment, and personnel were epidemiologically related.
- To ascertain if these MRSA strains represented common local human-associated MRSA.
- To characterize novel MRSA strains found in captive primates.
Main Methods:
- Collected nasal and environmental samples from primates and personnel.
- Enriched and selected isolates on media containing oxacillin and polymyxin B.
- Verified isolates as Staphylococcus aureus, screened for the mecA gene, and characterized using SCCmec typing, MLST, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS).
Main Results:
- 17.6% of primates (105/596) were MRSA positive; low MRSA prevalence was found in personnel (2.5%) and environmental samples (3.6%).
- Several MRSA isolates from primates and personnel belonged to ST188, a type rare in North America and linked to Asian human isolates.
- MRSA isolates from out-of-state primates exhibited a novel MLST type, ST3268, unrelated to the ST188 group.
Conclusions:
- The MRSA strains found in primates were unlikely to have originated from primate center employees.
- The novel ST3268 MRSA type highlights the emergence of new strains in captive primate populations.
- Captive primates represent an underappreciated reservoir for MRSA, necessitating further investigation.
