Global spread of three multidrug-resistant lineages of Staphylococcus epidermidis

Jean YH Lee; Ian R Monk; Anders Goncalves da Silva; Torsten Seemann; Kyra YL Chua; Angela Kearns; Robert Hill; Neil Woodford; Mette D Bartels; Birgit Strommenger; Frederic Laurent; Magali Dodemont; Ariane Deplano; Robin Patel; Anders R Larsen; Tony M Korman; Timothy P Stinear; Benjamin P Howden

Journal article

Global spread of three multidrug-resistant lineages of Staphylococcus epidermidis

Jean YH Lee, Ian R Monk, Anders Goncalves da Silva, Torsten Seemann, Kyra YL Chua, Angela Kearns, Robert Hill, Neil Woodford, Mette D Bartels, Birgit Strommenger, Frederic Laurent, Magali Dodemont, Ariane Deplano, Robin Patel, Anders R Larsen, Tony M Korman, Timothy P Stinear, Benjamin P Howden

NATURE MICROBIOLOGY | NATURE PORTFOLIO | Published : 2018

DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0230-7

Abstract

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a conspicuous member of the human microbiome, widely present on healthy skin. Here we show that S. epidermidis has also evolved to become a formidable nosocomial pathogen. Using genomics, we reveal that three multidrug-resistant, hospital-adapted lineages of S. epidermidis (two ST2 and one ST23) have emerged in recent decades and spread globally. These lineages are resistant to rifampicin through acquisition of specific rpoB mutations that have become fixed in the populations. Analysis of isolates from 96 institutions in 24 countries identified dual D471E and I527M RpoB substitutions to be the most common cause of rifampicin resistance in S. epidermidis, account..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Torsten Seemann Author Microbiology and Immunology

Ian Monk Author Microbiology and Immunology

Kyra Chua Author Microbiology and Immunology

Ben Howden Author Microbiology and Immunology

Anders Goncalves Da Silva Author Microbiology and Immunology

Related Projects (3)

UNDERSTANDING HOW BACTERIA CAUSE PERSISTENT INFECTION

Golden staph still causes significant human infections and resistance to antibiotics is an ever growing problem with this bacteria. This pro..

GENOMIC APPROACHES IN HUMAN HEALTH MICROBIOLOGY

This project uses latest genomic technologies to advance our understanding of how bacteria cause disease and finding new antibiotics/approac..

IMPROVING PREVENTION, TRACKING AND TREATMENT OF MAJOR HUMAN BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

This research fellowship will lead to a detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and cause..

Grants

Awarded by National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Project

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Project

Awarded by NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship

Awarded by NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship

Awarded by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Funding Acknowledgements

The authors thank D. Kotsanas (Monash Health), M. Hickey (Ireland), A. Boulos (Northern Ireland) and K. E. Greenwood Quaintance, S. M. Schmidt-Malan and Y. M. Wi (United States) for their submission of isolates used in this study. This project was supported by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Basser Research Entry Scholarship/Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship (to J.Y.H.L.), a National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Project Grant to R.P. (R21 AI125870), a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Project Grant (GNT1066791), an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship to T.P.S. (GNT1105525) and an NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship to B.P.H. (GNT1105905).