Transmission of fosD-carrying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST764 in East Asia: Evidence of human and livestock transmission

Objectives

To investigate the prevalence and to characterise fosD in the clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in China.

Methods

We screened 471 MRSA isolates for fosD using genomic sequencing and ResFinder, evaluated antimicrobial susceptibility, and performed nanopore sequencing, plasmid transfer via electroporation, molecular cloning of fosD, and phylogenetic analyses.

Results

Among 471 MRSA isolates, ten fosD-positive strains, which belonged to ST764, were identified in two teaching hospitals in Guangzhou. The MIC of fosfomycin in the identified fosD-positive strains was 16,384 mg/L. The fosD gene was located on the 36,202 bp plasmid pFOS-R1, which is homologous to pTZ2162 reported in Japan. Furthermore, comparative genomic analysis suggested that fosD has been disseminated across multiple Staphylococcus species while molecular cloning confirmed that fosD can mediate high-level fosfomycin resistance in RN4220. Phylogenetic analysis revealed fosD-positive ST764 strains from China, Japan and Thailand, which may imply the spread of ST764 MRSA in East Asia. Our fosD-positive ST764 strains were closely related to the previously reported fosD-positive ST764 strain collected from chickens in Guangzhou, implying the transmission of fosD-positive ST764 MRSA between humans and livestock.

Conclusions

fosD-carrying ST764 MRSA isolates are spreading across borders in East Asia, with clinical isolates from China, Japan, and Thailand, posing an increasing threat to public health. Fosfomycin should be prudently used under supervision in livestock. Furthermore, the cross-border spread of MRSA should be carefully monitored.