Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
mSphere. 2022 Jun 29;7(3):e0011622. doi: 10.1128/msphere.00116-22. Epub 2022 May 17.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious public health concern in the United States. Patients colonized and/or infected can transmit MRSA to healthcare workers and subsequent patients However, the components of this transmission chain are just becoming evident, including certain patient factors, specific patient-healthcare worker interactions, and microbial factors. We conducted a comparative genomic analysis of 388 isolates from four hospitals in three states: Maryland, California, and New York. Isolates from nasal surveillance or clinical cultures were categorized as high, moderate, or low transmission surrogate outcomes based on the number of times the species was identified on the gloves or gowns of healthcare providers. The comparative analyses included a single gene, multigene, and core genome phylogenetic analysis, as well as a genome-wide association analysis to identify molecular signatures associated with the observed transmission surrogate outcomes, geographic origin, or sample source of isolation. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, 95% ( = 372) of the MRSA isolates were from four well-described genomic clades, with most of the isolates being part of the USA300 containing clade ( = 187; 48%). Genome-wide association studies also identified genes that were exclusive or prevalent among specific geographic locations. The identified genes provide insights into the transmission dynamics of MRSA isolates providing additional insights into the basis of the geographical differences of MRSA for molecular diagnostics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is considered a serious threat to public health and contributes to the dissemination of S. aureus in both the healthcare and community setting. Transmission of MRSA between patients via healthcare worker (HCW) has been described. However, what is not understood are the genetic determinants that contribute to the transmission of MRSA from patients to HCWs. In this study, we demonstrated that certain genes may be associated with transmission in the hospital setting.
耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）在美国是一个严重的公共卫生问题。定植和/或感染的患者可将 MRSA 传播给医护人员和随后的患者。然而，这一传播链的组成部分才刚刚显现，包括某些患者因素、特定的医患互动以及微生物因素。我们对来自美国马里兰州、加利福尼亚州和纽约州的四家医院的 388 株分离株进行了比较基因组分析。根据医护人员手套或手术服上鉴定出该物种的次数，将鼻监测或临床培养的分离株归类为高、中、低传播替代结局。比较分析包括单基因、多基因和核心基因组系统发育分析，以及全基因组关联分析，以确定与观察到的传播替代结局、地理起源或分离物来源相关的分子特征。基于系统发育分析，95%（ = 372）的 MRSA 分离株来自四个描述良好的基因组进化枝，其中大多数分离株是包含 USA300 进化枝的一部分（ = 187；48%）。全基因组关联研究还鉴定了在特定地理位置特有的或普遍存在的基因。鉴定的基因提供了有关 MRSA 分离株传播动力学的见解，为分子诊断提供了有关 MRSA 地理差异的基础的更多见解。耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）被认为是对公众健康的严重威胁，并导致金黄色葡萄球菌在医疗保健和社区环境中的传播。已经描述了患者之间通过医护人员（HCW）传播 MRSA。然而，尚不清楚的是导致 MRSA 从患者传播到 HCW 的遗传决定因素。在这项研究中，我们表明某些基因可能与医院环境中的传播有关。
