Genotyping of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from diseased poultry

To gain insight into the genomic diversity of S. aureus associated with diseases in domestic poultry, 131 isolates from clinically ill turkeys (n = 80) and chickens (n = 51) were collected and genotyped using microarray hybridisations. MRSA isolates were subjected to spa and dru typing and their antimicrobial resistance geno- and phenotypes were determined. Most (68 out of 80) turkey isolates belonged to the Clonal Complex (CC) 398. Seventeen of the 80 isolates (21.2%) were MRSA. The most common MRSA type among turkeys was CC398-MRSA-V (n = 8), but CC5-MRSA-III (n = 4), CC9-MRSA-IV (n = 2), CC398-MRSA-IV (n = 2) and a single CC398-MRSA with an unidentified/truncated SCCmec element were also found. Among the chicken isolates, CC5 predominated (44 out of 51). Five of the chicken isolates were MRSA (9.8%), all belonging to CC398-MRSA-V. These data show that the current dissemination of livestock-associated MRSA also engulfs chickens and turkeys, and that MRSA surveillance among these species is warranted.