TY - JOUR
T1 - Occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in surface waters near industrial hog operation spray fields
AU - Hatcher, S. M.
AU - Myers, K. W.
AU - Heaney, C. D.
AU - Larsen, J.
AU - Hall, D.
AU - Miller, M. B.
AU - Stewart, J. R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for the water sampling component of this study was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Health Scholars Program – Community Track, Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP, and a Gillings Innovation Laboratory award from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Characterization of Staphylococcus was funded by NSF grant 1316318 as part of the joint NSF-NIH-USDA Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program. SMH was supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (Award No. DGE-1144081) and an NIEHS Training Grant (Award No. T32ES007018). CDH was supported by a NIOSH Award (Award No. 1K01OH010193-01A1). The funders had no role in data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016
PY - 2016/3/23
Y1 - 2016/3/23
N2 - Industrial hog operations (IHOs) have been identified as a source of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). However, few studies have investigated the presence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus in the environment near IHOs, specifically surface waters proximal to spray fields where IHO liquid lagoon waste is sprayed. Surface water samples (n = 179) were collected over the course of approximately one year from nine locations in southeastern North Carolina and analyzed for the presence of presumptive MRSA using CHROMagar MRSA media. Culture-based, biochemical, and molecular tests, as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry were used to confirm that isolates that grew on CHROMagar MRSA media were S. aureus. Confirmed S. aureus isolates were then tested for susceptibility to 16 antibiotics and screened for molecular markers of MRSA (mecA, mecC) and livestock adaptation (absence of scn). A total of 12 confirmed MRSA were detected in 9 distinct water samples. Nine of 12 MRSA isolates were also multidrug-resistant (MDRSA [i.e., resistant to ≥ 3 antibiotic classes]). All MRSA were scn-positive and most (11/12) belonged to a staphylococcal protein A (spa) type t008, which is commonly associated with humans. Additionally, 12 confirmed S. aureus that were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) were recovered, 7 of which belonged to spa type t021 and were scn-negative (a marker of livestock-adaptation). This study demonstrated the presence of MSSA, MRSA, and MDRSA in surface waters adjacent to IHO lagoon waste spray fields in southeastern North Carolina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of waterborne S. aureus from surface waters proximal to IHOs.
AB - Industrial hog operations (IHOs) have been identified as a source of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). However, few studies have investigated the presence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus in the environment near IHOs, specifically surface waters proximal to spray fields where IHO liquid lagoon waste is sprayed. Surface water samples (n = 179) were collected over the course of approximately one year from nine locations in southeastern North Carolina and analyzed for the presence of presumptive MRSA using CHROMagar MRSA media. Culture-based, biochemical, and molecular tests, as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry were used to confirm that isolates that grew on CHROMagar MRSA media were S. aureus. Confirmed S. aureus isolates were then tested for susceptibility to 16 antibiotics and screened for molecular markers of MRSA (mecA, mecC) and livestock adaptation (absence of scn). A total of 12 confirmed MRSA were detected in 9 distinct water samples. Nine of 12 MRSA isolates were also multidrug-resistant (MDRSA [i.e., resistant to ≥ 3 antibiotic classes]). All MRSA were scn-positive and most (11/12) belonged to a staphylococcal protein A (spa) type t008, which is commonly associated with humans. Additionally, 12 confirmed S. aureus that were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) were recovered, 7 of which belonged to spa type t021 and were scn-negative (a marker of livestock-adaptation). This study demonstrated the presence of MSSA, MRSA, and MDRSA in surface waters adjacent to IHO lagoon waste spray fields in southeastern North Carolina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of waterborne S. aureus from surface waters proximal to IHOs.
KW - Antibiotic resistance
KW - Industrial hog operations
KW - MRSA
KW - Staphylococcus aureus
KW - Water quality
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U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.083
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.083
M3 - Article
C2 - 27261430
AN - SCOPUS:84973547951
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 565
SP - 1028
EP - 1036
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -