Molecular characterisation of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis and Egyptian raw milk cheese

Abstract We investigated the characteristics of S. aureus isolates causing bovine subclinical mastitis (SCM), and their genetic relatedness with the isolates obtained from Egyptian cheese. Twenty-five S. aureus isolates were identified from 150 SCM milk and 75 cheese samples. The antibiogram revealed multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. Fifteen isolates were categorised as methicillin-resistant. Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes were detected. Spa typing and SCCmec classification were performed. More than 50% of isolates were found carrying human-specific virulence determinants, while other isolates characterised were presumed to be of bovine-origin. Spa-types t304, t688, t084 corresponded isolates from SCM milk and cheese samples; the similar genotypes from SCM and cheese displayed divergence in virulence traits. Moreover, our results revealed the novel spa-type t18546. Animals and dairy food could be a reservoir for transformative changes in S. aureus virulence, leading to the emergence of virulent MDR strains that may become potential public-health threats.