The sequences of the ccrAB genes from bovine-, canine- and chicken-originating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (S.) epidermidis (MRSE) and bovine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (MRSA) were compared to investigate the frequency of intra-species horizontal transfer of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) complex. Nineteen MRSE strains were isolated from bovine milk, chickens, and dogs, and their genetic characteristics were investigated by multilocus sequence typing and SCCmec typing. Among the animal MRSE strains, the most frequent SCCmec type was type IV, which consisted of the type B mec complex and ccrAB type 2. The ccrA2 and ccrB2 genes were sequenced from the bovine, chicken and canine MRSE strains and compared with those of the bovine MRSA strains. The sequences generally clustered as MRSA and MRSE groups, regardless of the animal source. Additionally, no bovine MRSE sequence was associated with the bovine MRSA groups. Although most of the bovine MRSE and MRSA isolates possessed SCCmec type IV sequences, our results suggest that the intra-species gene transfer of the SCCmec complex between bovine S. aureus and bovine S. epidermidis strains is not a frequent event.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Bacterial Typing Techniques/veterinary ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology/metabolism ; Chickens ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/metabolism ; Dogs ; *Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; *Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Methicillin/*pharmacology ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics/isolation & purification ; Milk/microbiology ; Multilocus Sequence Typing/veterinary ; Poultry Diseases/epidemiology/metabolism ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary ; Staphylococcus epidermidis/genetics/isolation & purification

Escherichia (E.) coli serotype O157:H7 is a globally distributed human enteropathogen and is comprised of microorganisms with closely related genotypes. The main reservoir for this group is bovine bowels, and infection mainly occurs after ingestion of contaminated water and food. Virulence genetic markers of 28 O157:H7 strains were investigated and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) was used to evaluate the clonal structure. O157:H7 strains from several countries were isolated from food, human and bovine feces. According to MLEE, O157:H7 strains clustered into two main clonal groups designated A and B. Subcluster A1 included 82% of the O157:H7 strains exhibiting identical MLEE pattern. Most enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7 strains from Brazil and Argentina were in the same MLEE subgroup. Bovine and food strains carried virulence genes associated with EHEC pathogenicity in humans.
Animals ; Argentina/epidemiology ; Brazil/epidemiology ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology/*microbiology ; Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli/genetics/*isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Escherichia coli O157/*genetics/*isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Food Microbiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial/physiology ; Genetic Markers ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Shiga Toxin 1/genetics/metabolism ; Shiga Toxin 2/genetics/metabolism ; Virulence