Molecular epidemiological analysis to assess the influence of pet-ownership in the biodiversity of Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA in dog- and non-dog-owning healthy households

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 145; no. 6; pp. 1135 - 1147
• Main Authors: VAN BALEN, J. C., LANDERS, T., NUTT, E., DENT, A., HOET, A. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antimicrobial resistance; Biodiversity; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Carrier State - veterinary; Child; Child, Preschool; Consent; Dogs; Dogs - microbiology; Drug resistance; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Epidemiology; Families & family life; Family Characteristics; Genetic Variation; Health care; Households; Humans; Infant; Laboratories; Methicillin; Methicillin Resistance; Molecular Epidemiology; Molecular Typing; Morphology; Original Papers; Ownership; Pathogens; Pets; Preventive medicine; Public health; Sample size; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - veterinary; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - classification; Staphylococcus aureus - genetics; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Staphylococcus infections; United States - epidemiology; Veterinary colleges; Veterinary medicine; Zoonoses; United States > US; Ohio; USA; molecular epidemiology; household; Biodiversity; Staphylococcus aureus; pet-ownership
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268816003228

It has been suggested that zoonotic transmission of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) can occur between owners and their pets within the same household. However, the influence that pet-ownership could have in the biodiversity of SA/MRSA strains circulating among owners is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to perform a molecular epidemiological analysis to evaluate and compare the biodiversity of SA/MRSA strains in dog-owning and non-dog-owning healthy households within the same community. Antimicrobial resistance, SCCmec type, USA type and clonality were assessed. Overall, 33·1% (165/499) of human subjects carried SA and 2·8% (14/499) carried MRSA. Among dogs, 7·1% (8/113) carried SA but none were MRSA positive. No difference was detected in the diversity index of SA/MRSA pulsotypes between dog-owning and non-dog-owning households; but, a marked variation was still observed in the pulsotypes circulating in each type of household. Additionally, simultaneous carriage of the same SA pulsotype in owner(s) and dog was observed in 57% of households with positive humans and pets. These results demonstrate that dogs can indeed participate in the circulation of SA/MRSA pulsotypes within a home and that the presence of a pet does not seem to favour certain strains within their household.