Abstract
Antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from non-healthcare environments, is a potential problem to public health. In our survey a total of 71 coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) belonging to 11 different species were isolated from three large hotels in London, UK. The most prevalent species was Staphylococcus haemolyticus, with S. hominis, S. warneri, S. cohnii, and Staphylococcus epidermidis commonly detected. Antimicrobial susceptibilities and carriage of the mecA gene were determined for all of these isolates. Most (85.9%) staphylococci were resistant to multiple antibiotics with all displaying increased susceptibility toward penicillin, fusidic acid, erythromycin, and cefepime. Twenty-one (29.5%) of the isolates were mecA positive, however MIC values to oxacillin, normally associated with the carriage of mecA, varied widely in this group (from 0.06 to 256 mg/L). Fifteen of the twenty-one mecA positive isolates carried SCCmec of these seven were type V, one type I, one type II, and one type IV. Additionally, five of these 15 isolates carried a previously unreported type, 1A, which involves an association between class A mec complex and ccr type 1. The remaining six of the 21 isolates were non-typeable and carried a combination of class A mec complex and ccrC. In addition to this, we also report on new MLST types which were assigned for five S. epidermidis isolates. Four out of these five isolates had MICs between 0.06 and 256 mg/L to oxacillin and would be regarded as clinically susceptible but one isolate had a high oxacillin MIC of 256 mg/L. We demonstrated widespread multiple drug resistance among different staphylococcal species isolated from non-healthcare environments highlighting the potential for these species to act as a reservoir for methicillin and other forms of drug resistance.
Highlights
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are opportunistic pathogens that have emerged as a major cause of nosocomial infections often associated with healthcare settings (Bouchami et al, 2011a; Zong et al, 2011)
Among all staphylococci species S. haemolyticus was predominantly resistant to erythromycin (59%), followed by S. epidermidis to amoxicillin 60% and tetracycline 60% respectively and S. cohnii to erythromycin (80%), whereas S. haemolyticus (ID 54) and S. pasteuri (ID 68) were susceptible to almost all antibiotics tested except for streptomycin (Tables 1, 2)
The potential threat of antibiotic resistance in environmental/non-healthcare associated bacteria is a concern for public health
Summary
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are opportunistic pathogens that have emerged as a major cause of nosocomial infections often associated with healthcare settings (Bouchami et al, 2011a; Zong et al, 2011). The treatment of CNS infections has become more difficult, as many isolates in hospitals carry multiple drug resistance (Bouchami et al, 2011b) due to an increase of ineffectiveness of a wide range of antibiotics (John and Harvin, 2007). Methicillin resistance is commonly associated with the carriage of the mecA gene that encodes for penicillin binding protein PBP2a and has a low affinity for β-lactam antibiotics (Tulinski et al, 2012). The mecA gene is located on a mobile genetic element called the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) (Milheiriço et al, 2007). There are 11 SCCmec types currently reported and typing is based on different combinations of mec types (A, B, C1, C2, and D) and ccr types (ccrAB1, ccrAB2, ccrAB3, ccrAB4, and ccrC) (IWG-SCC, 2009; Shore et al, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
