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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
08:03
Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations
Published on: December 7, 2021
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Absence of Host-Specific Genes in Canine and Human Staphylococcus pseudintermedius as Inferred from Comparative
Alice Wegener1, Els M Broens1, Linda van der Graaf-van Bloois1
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 6, 2021
Summary
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, a dog pathogen, shows genetic diversity in both canine and human infections. Multidrug resistance is significant in these methicillin-susceptible S. pseudintermedius isolates, particularly within clonal complex CC241.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Genomics
- Antimicrobial Resistance
Background:
- Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a significant canine pathogen that can opportunistically infect humans, especially the elderly and immunocompromised.
- Understanding the genomic relatedness and resistance mechanisms of S. pseudintermedius in both hosts is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the genomic relatedness and antimicrobial resistance genes of canine and human S. pseudintermedius isolates.
- To investigate potential host associations using genome-wide association study (GWAS).
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was employed to analyze canine (n=25) and human (n=32) methicillin-susceptible S. pseudintermedius (MSSP) isolates.
- Genomic diversity, clonal complexes, and antimicrobial resistance genes were assessed.
Main Results:
- High genetic diversity was observed in both canine and human MSSP isolates, with a notable overrepresentation of clonal complex CC241 in human isolates.
- CC241 was linked to a plasmid carrying cytotoxic bacteriocin, CRISPR-cas, and a mobile element with five antimicrobial resistance genes.
- Multidrug resistance (MDR) was predicted in 41% of human and 56% of canine isolates, with CC241 prevalent in MDR human isolates.
Conclusions:
- This is the first genomic study demonstrating significant genetic diversity of MSSP in both dogs and humans.
- Multidrug resistance is a critical concern in both dog- and human-associated S. pseudintermedius isolates.
- No specific host-associated genes were identified through GWAS.
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