Abstract
Staphylococcus saprophyticus is an important agent of urinary tract infection (UTI) in young women, but information about this pathogen in human microbiota and in common environment is lacking. The aim of this study was to characterize S. saprophyticus isolates from genitoanal microbiota of 621 pregnant women, 10 minas cheese packs, and five beaches in Rio de Janeiro city and compare PFGE profiles of these isolates with five UTI PFGE clusters described in this city. We investigated 65 S. saprophyticus isolates from microbiota, 13 from minas cheese, and 30 from beaches and 32 UTI isolates. Antimicrobial resistance was determined by disk diffusion, MIC by agar dilution, and PCR. Erythromycin-resistance genes erm(C), msr(A), msr(B), mph(C), and lin(A) were found in 93% of isolates. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance correlated with dfrG or dfrA genes. Three cefoxitin-resistant isolates carried the mecA gene. All isolates obtained from cheese were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents. Six of 10 pregnant women with >1 isolate had monoclonal colonization. Isolates from pregnant women shared 100% similarity with UTI PFGE cluster types A and E obtained almost 10 years previously, suggesting temporal persistence of S. saprophyticus. Antimicrobial resistance of beach isolates reflected the profiles of human isolates. Taken together, results indicate a shared source for human and environmental isolates.
Highlights
The source or reservoir of Staphylococcus saprophyticus for humans is not fully known
We described the distribution of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types in a population of 32 S. saprophyticus isolates from community-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) in Rio de Janeiro from 2005 to 2006 [11]
We considered as suspect of S. saprophyticus the colonies from cultures of cheese and the microbiota samples that grew on Mannitol Salt Agar (BD, New Jersey, USA) with 100 μg/mL of novobiocin (Inlab, Sao Paulo, Brazil) and the colonies from beach water samples that grew on the same selective medium with addition of 0.005% sodium azide [28]
Summary
The source or reservoir of Staphylococcus saprophyticus for humans is not fully known. This coagulase-negative microorganism is recognized to cause urinary tract infection (UTI) in sexually active young women [1]. Despite the numerous reports of this microorganism in food [2,3,4], the relationship between these findings and the occurrence of UTI in humans has not been demonstrated [5]. Reports of S. saprophyticus in the marine environment [8] and food derived from fish [9, 10]. Draw attention to the spread of this microorganism. These may indicate that nonhuman sources of S. saprophyticus colonization may include, in addition to food, contact with the marine environment, an unexplored phenomenon
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