A LAMP point-of-care test to guide antimicrobial choice for treatment of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius pyoderma in dogs.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is the most common cause of pyoderma in dogs. We validated a point-of-care (PoC) test based on colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for rapid S. pseudintermedius identification and susceptibility testing for first line antimicrobials for systemic treatment of canine pyoderma, i.e., lincosamides, first generation cephalosporins and amoxicillin clavulanate. Newly designed LAMP primers targeting clinically relevant resistance genes were combined with a previously validated set of primers targeting spsL for species identification. After laboratory validation on 110 clinical isolates, we assessed the performance of the test on 101 clinical specimens using routine culture and susceptibility testing as a reference standard. The average hands-on and turnaround times for the PoC test were 30 and 90 min, respectively. The assay showed sensitivity and specificity near 100% for both species identification and susceptibility testing when performed on bacterial cultures or clinical specimens in the laboratory. However, the PoC test yielded less accurate results when performed on-site by clinical staff (92% sensitivity and 64% specificity for species identification, 67% sensitivity and 96% specificity for ß-lactam susceptibility, and 83% sensitivity and 71% specificity for lincosamide susceptibility). These results indicate that the PoC test should be adapted to a user-friendly technology to facilitate performance and interpretation of results by clinical staff. If properly developed, the test would allow veterinarians to gain rapid information on antimicrobial choice, limiting the risk of treatment failure and facilitating adherence to antimicrobial use guidelines in small animal veterinary dermatology.

Efficacy of antimicrobial and nutraceutical treatment for canine acute diarrhoea: A systematic review and meta-analysis for European Network for Optimization of Antimicrobial Therapy (ENOVAT) guidelines.

Systemic antimicrobial treatments are commonly prescribed to dogs with acute diarrhoea, while nutraceuticals (prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics) are frequently administered as an alternative treatment. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness of antimicrobials and nutraceutical preparations for treatment of canine acute diarrhoea (CAD). The results of this study will be used to create evidence-based treatment guidelines. PICOs (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome) were generated by a multidisciplinary expert panel taking into account opinions from stakeholders (general practitioners and dog owners). The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology was used to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. The systematic search yielded six randomised controlled trials (RCT) for antimicrobial treatment and six RCTs for nutraceutical treatment meeting the eligibility criteria. Categories of disease severity (mild, moderate, and severe) were created based on the presence of systemic signs and response to fluid therapy. Outcomes included duration of diarrhoea, duration of hospitalization, progression of disease, mortality, and adverse effects. High certainty evidence showed that antimicrobial treatment did not have a clinically relevant effect on any outcome in dogs with mild or moderate disease. Certainty of evidence was low for dogs with severe disease. Nutraceutical products did not show a clinically significant effect in shortening the duration of diarrhoea (based on very low to moderate certainty evidence). No adverse effects were reported in any of the studies.

Quality of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid oral formulations for intended veterinary use in the UK, Malaysia, Serbia and Thailand.

OBJECTIVES: Amoxicillin/clavulanate is the most commonly used oral antimicrobial drug in companion animals. The objective of the study was to detect types and frequency of deficits in the quality of veterinary oral formulations of amoxicillin/clavulanate in various countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective study with purposive sampling, amoxicillin/clavulanate tablet formulations for canine use were collected in four countries (wholesalers or veterinary practice) and shipped to a central bioanalytical laboratory. Twenty-four samples were collected from the UK (nine), Malaysia (nine), Serbia (four) and Thailand (two), yielding 18 different formulations (10 veterinary). Packaging inspection, tablet disintegration and content assay were conducted (validated high-performance liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detection); content was acceptable when within the 90% to 120% pre-specified range (US Pharmacopeia). RESULTS: Secondary packaging was present for 13 of 24 samples and primary packaging integrity was verified for all but one sample. Amoxicillin trihydrate/potassium clavulanate label ratio was 4:1, except for three formulations (2:1). Tablet dose strength ranged from 250 to 625 mg. All formulations contained both analytes. For amoxicillin, two of 24 samples were out of specification with 72.8% (Malaysia) and 82.3% (Thailand) of labelled content. For clavulanate, four of 24 samples were out of specification with 46.9% (Serbia), 79.0% (UK), 84.3% (Serbia) and 86.5% (Thailand) of labelled content. One formulation (Thailand) failed for both analytes. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Antimicrobial formulations of substandard quality have negative consequences for efficacy in patients and potentially promote antimicrobial resistance. There was evidence of substandard formulations in all countries, not only for amoxicillin but especially for clavulanate; this could compromise equitable access to acceptable quality essential veterinary medicines worldwide.

EUCAST disc diffusion criteria for the detection of mecA-Mediated ß-lactam resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius: oxacillin versus cefoxitin.

OBJECTIVES: Until recently, the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) recommended the cefoxitin disc to screen for mecA-mediated ß-lactam resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. A recent study indicated that cefoxitin was inferior to oxacillin in this respect. We have re-evaluated cefoxitin and oxacillin discs for screening for methicillin resistance in S. pseudintermedius. METHODS: We included 224 animal and human S. pseudintermedius isolates from Europe (n = 108) and North America (n = 116), of which 109 were mecA-positive. Disc diffusion was performed per EUCAST recommendations using 30-µg cefoxitin and 1-µg oxacillin discs from three manufacturers and Mueller-Hinton agar from two manufacturers. RESULTS: Cefoxitin inhibition zones ranged from 6 to 33 mm for mecA-positive S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) and from 29 to 41 mm for mecA-negative S. pseudintermedius (MSSP). The corresponding oxacillin zone intervals were 6-20 mm and 19-30 mm. For cefoxitin 16% (95% CI 14.8-18.0%) of the isolates were in the area where positive and negative results overlapped. For oxacillin the corresponding number was 2% (1.6-2.9%). For oxacillin a breakpoint of susceptible (S) ≥ 20 mm and resistant (R) <20 mm resulted in only 0.4% and 1.1% very major error and major error rates respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation confirms that the 1-µg oxacillin disc predicts mecA-mediated methicillin resistance in S. pseudintermedius better than the 30-µg cefoxitin disc. For a 1-µg oxacillin disc we propose that 20 mm should be used as cut off for resistance, i.e. isolates with a zone diameter <20 mm are resistant to all ß-lactam antibiotics except those with activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococci.

Transcriptome analysis of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus exposed to cefotaxime.

Previous studies on bacterial response to antibiotics mainly focused on susceptible strains. Here we characterized the transcriptional responses of distinct cephalosporin-resistant bacteria of public health relevance to cefotaxime (CTX), a cephalosporin widely used in clinical practice. Adaptation to therapeutic concentrations of CTX (30 µg/ml) was investigated by RNA sequencing in mid-exponential phase cultures of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and two genetically diverse E. coli producing CTX-M-15 or CMY-2 ß-lactamase following genome sequencing and annotation for each strain. MRSA showed the most notable adaptive changes in the transcriptome after exposure to CTX, mainly associated with cell envelope functions. This reprogramming coincided with a transient reduction in cell growth, which also occurred in the CMY-2-producing E. coli but not in the CTX-M-15-producing strain. Re-establishment of growth in the CMY-2 producer proceeded without any notable adaptive transcriptional response, while limited reprogramming of gene transcription was observed in the CTX-M-15 producer. Our data show that the transcriptional response of CTX-resistant bacteria to CTX depends on the bacterial species, level of resistance and resistance determinant involved. Gene products induced in the presence of CTX may play an essential role for bacterial survival during therapy and merit further investigation as possible targets for potentiating CTX.

Effects of Diagnostic Work-Up on Medical Decision-Making for Canine Urinary Tract Infection: An Observational Study in Danish Small Animal Practices.

BACKGROUND: Clinical signs of urinary tract disease in dogs often lead to prescription of antibiotics. Appropriate diagnostic work-up could optimize treatment and reduce the risk of inappropriate use of antibiotics. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe and evaluate the impact of diagnostic work-up on decision to treat (DTT) and choice of antibiotic treatment (COT) for dogs presenting with clinical signs of urinary tract disease. ANIMALS: One hundred and fifty-one dogs presenting to 52 Danish veterinary practices. METHODS: Prospective, observational study. Clinical signs, diagnostic work-up, and prescriptions were recorded. Urine samples were submitted to a reference laboratory for quantitative bacterial culture (QBC) and susceptibility testing. The laboratory results were used as reference for assessing the appropriateness of DTT and COT. RESULTS: In the majority of dogs, veterinarians performed dipstick (99%), microscopic examination of urine (80%) and bacterial culture (56%). Fifty-one percent of dogs had urinary tract infection (UTI) based on reference QBC. Appropriate DTT was made for 62% of the dogs, while 36% were over-prescribed and 2% under-prescribed. Inappropriate use of second-line agents was found in 57% of the UTI cases. Performing microscopy-but not culture-significantly impacted DTT (P = 0.039) while no difference was seen in COT (P = 0.67). The accuracy of in-house microscopy and culture were 64.5 and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Over-prescription of antibiotics was common among dogs with suspected UTI, regardless of the diagnostic work-up performed. Test inaccuracy under practice conditions and incoherence between diagnostic test results and decision-making both explained inappropriate and unnecessary use of antibiotics.

Frequency, antimicrobial susceptibility and clonal distribution of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in canine clinical samples submitted to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Italy: A 3-year retrospective investigation.

In the last decade there has been a rapid global spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) clones displaying multidrug resistance in dogs. We investigated prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and clonal distribution of MRSP isolated from clinical canine samples between during 2011-2014. Following species identification by nuc PCR, MRSP were confirmed by the presence of mecA and characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), SCCmec typing, and Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) of a few isolates having distinct PFGE profiles. Both the MRSP isolation frequency in the 175 samples tested (12%) and the prevalence of methicillin resistance amongst the 63S. pseudintermedius isolates (33%) were high compared to a previous study in Italy. Sequence type (ST)71 carrying SCCmec type II-III, described as the epidemic European MRSP clone, accounted for approximately half of the isolates. The remaining isolates belonged to ST410-SCCmec type II-III, ST258-SCCmec type IV and other three clones associated with SCCmec type IV (ST261, ST290 and ST477). MRSP were consistently resistant to potentiated sulfonamides, and more frequently to clindamycin, ciprofloxacin and doxycycline than methicillin-susceptible isolates. Gentamicin was the only antibiotic showing good in vitro activity on all MRSP with 20 of the 21 isolates being susceptible. Results confirm a high prevalence of MRSP amongst clinical samples in Italy, revealing the emergence of new clones other than ST71, such as ST258, ST410, ST261, ST290 and ST477, here describe for the first time. Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance programmes are required to prevent the emergence of new MRSP clones and reducing transmission in small animal practice.

Comparison of the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy and diarrheic foals at two and four weeks of life.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea in foals affects up to 60% of foals during the first six months of life. The effect of diarrhea on the fecal bacterial microbiota in foals has not been investigated. Little is known on the fecal bacterial microbial richness and diversity of foals at a young age. The objective was to compare the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy foals to foals with diarrhea at two and four weeks of life. METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from foals (n = 20) at 1-14 (T1) and 15-28 (T2) days of age and analyzed using high throughput sequencing. Differences in relative abundance of bacterial taxa, alpha diversity and beta diversity indices were assessed between age-matched foals with diarrhea (n = 9) and healthy foals (n = 11), and between time points. RESULTS: Differences in microbial community composition based on time point and health status were observed on all taxonomic levels. Of 117 enriched species in healthy foals at T2, 50 (48%) were Lachnospiraceae or Ruminococcaceae. The Chao richness index was increased in healthy foals at T2 compared to T1 (p = 0.02). Foals with diarrhea had a significantly lower richness index than non-diarrheic foals at T2 (p = 0.04). Diarrhea had an inconsistent effect, while time point had a consistent effect on microbial community structure. CONCLUSIONS: Preventative and therapeutic measures for diarrhea should focus on maintaining bacterial microbiota richness. Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae were underrepresented in foals with diarrhea. These should be evaluated further as potential therapeutic options.

Antimicrobial use Guidelines for Treatment of Respiratory Tract Disease in Dogs and Cats: Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.

Respiratory tract disease can be associated with primary or secondary bacterial infections in dogs and cats and is a common reason for use and potential misuse, improper use, and overuse of antimicrobials. There is a lack of comprehensive treatment guidelines such as those that are available for human medicine. Accordingly, the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases convened a Working Group of clinical microbiologists, pharmacologists, and internists to share experiences, examine scientific data, review clinical trials, and develop these guidelines to assist veterinarians in making antimicrobial treatment choices for use in the management of bacterial respiratory diseases in dogs and cats.

Evaluation of different sampling methods and criteria for diagnosing canine urinary tract infection by quantitative bacterial culture.

The use of voided urine specimens for bacteriological culture in dogs is discouraged because contamination from external genitalia could lead to misinterpretation of laboratory results. Quantitative culturing and defining significant bacteriuria could increase the usefulness of voided specimens. However, limited evidence exists for the cut-offs currently recommended. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of current veterinary cut-off values for significant bacteriuria in voided canine urine. A secondary aim was to investigate if accuracy improved when applying qualitative criteria used in humans. Paired urine specimens were collected by both cystocentesis and voiding, and quantitative bacteriological cultures were performed within the same day. Cystocentesis was used as the reference standard with a cut-off for significant bacteriuria of ≥1000 colony forming units (CFU)/mL. Voided specimens were compared to cystocentesis using: (1) the veterinary cut-off of ≥100,000 CFU/mL; and (2) various cut-offs depending on qualitative criteria (sex, clinical signs and complicating factors), adapted from human guidelines. Ninety-four dogs with suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) were included for analysis. The veterinary cut-off yielded an accuracy of 94% with a sensitivity and specificity of 94% (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.81, 0.99) and 94% (95% CI 0.86, 0.98), respectively. Applying the human guidelines did not improve overall accuracy (89%), and yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 97% (95% CI 0.86, 1.00) and 86% (95% CI 0.77, 0.92), respectively. The veterinary cut-off value of ≥100,000 CFU/mL for voided urine is appropriate for determining significant bacteriuria in the majority of dogs with suspected UTI if specimens are refrigerated and cultured on the day of collection.

Human health risks associated with antimicrobial-resistant enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus on poultry meat.

Enterococci and staphylococci are frequent contaminants on poultry meat. Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus aureus are also well-known aetiological agents of a wide variety of infections resulting in major healthcare costs. This review provides an overview of the human health risks associated with the occurrence of these opportunistic human pathogens on poultry meat with particular focus on the risk of food-borne transmission of antimicrobial resistance. In the absence of conclusive evidence of transmission, this risk was inferred using data from scientific articles and national reports on prevalence, bacterial load, antimicrobial resistance and clonal distribution of these three species on poultry meat. The risks associated with ingestion of antimicrobial-resistant enterococci of poultry origin comprise horizontal transfer of resistance genes and transmission of multidrug-resistant E. faecalis lineages such as sequence type ST16. Enterococcus faecium lineages occurring in poultry meat products are distantly related to those causing hospital-acquired infections but may act as donors of quinupristin/dalfopristin resistance and other resistance determinants of clinical interest to the human gut microbiota. Ingestion of poultry meat contaminated with S. aureus may lead to food poisoning. However, antimicrobial resistance in the toxin-producing strains does not have clinical implications because food poisoning is not managed by antimicrobial therapy. Recently methicillin-resistant S. aureus of livestock origin has been reported on poultry meat. In theory handling or ingestion of contaminated meat is a potential risk factor for colonization by methicillin-resistant S. aureus. However, this risk is presently regarded as negligible by public health authorities.

Prioritization of Companion Animal Transmissible Diseases for Policy Intervention in Europe.

A number of papers have been published on the prioritization of transmissible diseases in farm animals and wildlife, based either on semiquantitative or truly quantitative methods, but there is no published literature on the prioritization of transmissible diseases in companion animals. In this study, available epidemiological data for diseases transmissible from companion animals to man were analysed with the aim of developing a procedure suitable for their prioritization within a European framework. A new method and its associated questionnaire and scoring system were designed based on methods described by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Modifications were applied to allow for the paucity of specific information on companion animal transmissible diseases. The OIE method was also adapted to the subject and to the regional scope of the interprofessional network addressing zoonotic diseases transmitted via companion animals in Europe: the Companion Animals multisectoriaL interprofessionaL Interdisciplinary Strategic Think tank On zoonoses (CALLISTO). Adaptations were made based on information collected from expert groups on viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases using a structured questionnaire, in which all questions were closed-ended. The expert groups were asked to select the most appropriate answer for each question taking into account the relevance and reliability of the data available in the scientific literature. Subsequently, the scoring of the answers obtained for each disease covered by the questionnaire was analysed to obtain two final overall scores, one for human health impact and one for agricultural economic impact. The adapted method was then applied to select the 15 most important pathogens (five for each pathogen group: viral, bacterial and parasitic) on the basis of their overall impact on public health and agriculture. The result of the prioritization exercise was a joint priority list (available at www.callistoproject.eu) of relevant pathogens according to these two criteria. As the scope of CALLISTO was comprehensive in terms of geographical area, animal species involved and impact of the diseases, the list of prioritized diseases had to accommodate the realities in different European countries and the differences in biology and animal-human relationships in a wide range of species including cats and dogs, pet pigs and sheep as well as captive reptiles. The methodology presented in this paper can be used to generate accurate priority lists according to narrower and more specific objectives.

Bacterial Zoonoses Transmitted by Household Pets: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives for Targeted Research and Policy Actions.

The close contact between household pets and people offers favourable conditions for bacterial transmission. In this article, the aetiology, prevalence, transmission, impact on human health and preventative measures are summarized for selected bacterial zoonoses transmissible by household pets. Six zoonoses representing distinct transmission routes were selected arbitrarily based on the available information on incidence and severity of pet-associated disease caused by zoonotic bacteria: bite infections and cat scratch disease (physical injuries), psittacosis (inhalation), leptospirosis (contact with urine), and campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis (faecal-oral ingestion). Antimicrobial resistance was also included due to the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria of zoonotic potential in dogs and cats. There is a general lack of data on pathogen prevalence in the relevant pet population and on the incidence of human infections attributable to pets. In order to address these gaps in knowledge, and to minimize the risk of human infection, actions at several levels are recommended, including: (1) coordinated surveillance of zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in household pets, (2) studies to estimate the burden of human disease attributable to pets and to identify risk behaviours facilitating transmission, and (3) education of those in charge of pets, animal caretakers, veterinarians and human medical healthcare practitioners on the potential zoonotic risks associated with exposure to pets. Disease-specific recommendations include incentives to undertake research aimed at the development of new diagnostic tests, veterinary-specific antimicrobial products and vaccines, as well as initiatives to promote best practices in veterinary diagnostic laboratories and prudent antimicrobial usage.

The longitudinal effect of a multi-strain probiotic on the intestinal bacterial microbiota of neonatal foals.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING THE STUDY: The microbiota plays a key role in health and disease. Probiotics are a potential way to therapeutically modify the intestinal microbiota and prevent disease. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotics on the bacterial microbiota of foals during and after administration. STUDY DESIGN: Randomised placebo controlled field trial. METHODS: Thirty-eight healthy neonatal foals enrolled in a previous study were selected. The foals had received a multi-strain probiotic (four Lactobacillus spp. 3-4 × 103 colony-forming units (cfu)/g each, Bifidobacterium animalis spp. lactis, 1 × 103-4 cfu/g) or placebo once daily for 3 weeks. A total of 3 faecal samples were collected from each foal at 2-week intervals and assessed via metagenomic sequencing. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare data between treatment groups. RESULTS: There were no changes on the phylum, order or class level between treatment groups at any age (all P>0.05) but some significant changes in relative abundance of families. Probiotic administration did not result in an increased relative abundance of lactobacilli or bifidobacteria at any age (Lactobacillus: P = 0.9, P = 0.1 and P = 0.2, Bifidobacterium: P = 0.3, P = 0.6 and P = 0.1 for Weeks 2, 4 and 6, respectively). Lactobacillus was enriched in the probiotic group at Week 6 on LEfSe analysis (linear discriminant analysis score 0.34, P = 0 .02). There was no effect on alpha diversity (all P>0.2) or community structure when parsimony and unifrac analysis were applied (all P>0.6). CONCLUSIONS: There were limited effects of probiotic treatment on the bacterial microbiota of foals. The studied probiotic based on lactobacilli and bifidobacteria has a limited potential for therapeutic modification of the gastrointestinal microbiota.

Effect of a probiotic on prevention of diarrhea and Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens shedding in foals.

BACKGROUND: Up to 60% of foals develop diarrhea within 6 months after birth. Preventive measures are limited but potentially probiotics could be used. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a newly designed probiotic on the incidence of foal diarrhea in a randomized field trial. ANIMALS: Seventy-two healthy neonatal foals. METHODS: Randomized, placebo-controlled field trial. Foals were administered a placebo or probiotic for 3 weeks and monitored for an additional week. A total of 3 fecal samples were taken from each foal at biweekly intervals. Statistical modeling was applied for comparison of incidence and duration of diarrhea and fecal shedding of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile between treatment and age groups. RESULTS: The overall incidence of diarrhea was 41 of 72 (59%) and did not differ (P = 0.37) between treatment groups. Foals treated with probiotics were more likely to develop diarrhea requiring veterinary intervention (P = 0.007). Age had a significant effect on incidence of diarrhea (P < 0.001); foals 8-15 days old having the highest probability of developing diarrhea. Duration of diarrhea and soft feces were not significantly different between groups. The prevalence of C. perfringens shedding was 55% with no difference between treatment groups (P = 0.23). The prevalence of C. difficile shedding was 11%. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: There was no benefit of administering a 3-week course of probiotics, but potential adverse effects were noted. Whether the probiotics lacked a clinical effect, or the choice of strains or dose was inadequate, is unknown. Clostridial shedding was not influenced by probiotics despite in vitro activity of probiotics.

ACVIM consensus statement on therapeutic antimicrobial use in animals and antimicrobial resistance.

The epidemic of antimicrobial resistant infections continues to challenge, compromising animal care, complicating food animal production and posing zoonotic disease risks. While the overall role of therapeutic antimicrobial use in animals in the development AMR in animal and human pathogens is poorly defined, veterinarians must consider the impacts of antimicrobial use in animal and take steps to optimize antimicrobial use, so as to maximize the health benefits to animals while minimizing the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance and other adverse effects. This consensus statement aims to provide guidance on the therapeutic use of antimicrobials in animals, balancing the need for effective therapy with minimizing development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from animals and humans.

MRSA carrying mecC in captive mara.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), virulence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus ST130 isolated from mara (Dolichotis patagonum), a large rodent species native to South America and kept in captivity at Copenhagen Zoo. METHODS: The presence of mecC was confirmed by PCR in 15 S. aureus ST130 isolated from mara during a previous study. WGS was performed on two randomly selected isolates to characterize their genomes with respect to SCCmec, virulence and resistance gene content. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using commercial broth microdilution tests. RESULTS: All the isolates belonged to spa type t528 ST130 and carried mecC. Based on WGS, mecC was 100% identical to the prototype sequence of S. aureus strain LGA251. The sequence of SCCmec type XI in the mara isolates had 23 SNPs compared with the one described in LGA251. The two sequenced strains harboured a set of virulence factors and other genomic features previously observed in ST130. Both strains carried norA as the only putative antimicrobial resistance gene in addition to mecC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the notion that a genetically conserved mecC-carrying MRSA ST130 clone is widespread in a variety of unrelated hosts in Denmark. Since the mara at Copenhagen Zoo have limited contact with humans and other animal species, it remains unclear whether mara are natural hosts of ST130 or acquired this lineage from unknown sources. The broad host range of MRSA ST130 supports its designation as a generalist lineage.