Publications (12) View all
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Article: Outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning due to SEA producing Staphylococcus aureus
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ABSTRACT: In 2008, 150 people gathered for a wedding celebration in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Three hours after ingestion of a variety of foods including pancakes filled with minced chicken, several guests exhibited symptoms of acute gastroenteritis such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and ague. Twelve guests were reported to have fallen ill, with nine of these seeking medical care in hospitals. At least four patients were admitted to the hospital and received in-patient treatment, among them a two year old child and a woman in the 4th month of pregnancy. Within 24 hours, an investigative team collected a variety of samples including refrigerated leftovers, food in the storage unit of the caterer, nasal swabs of the caterer, as well as 21 environmental swabs. Five stool samples from patients were provided by the hospitals. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were gathered from eight samples, among them nasal swabs of the caterer, food samples, and one stool sample. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy was used for species identification and for primary clustering of the isolates in a similarity tree. The isolates were further characterized by spa typing and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis, and a DNA microarray was used to determine the presence/absence of genes involved in virulence and antimicrobial resistance. We were able to match an enterotoxigenic strain from the stool sample of a patient to isolates of the same strain obtained from food and the nasal cavity of a food handler. The strain produced the enterotoxin SEA and the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, and was also found to exhibit the genes encoding enterotoxins SEG and SEI, as well as the enterotoxin gene cluster egc. This is one of only few studies that were able to link a staphylococcal food poisoning outbreak to its source.Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 01/2013; · 2.26 Impact Factor -
Article: Noncontiguous finished genome sequence of Staphylococcus aureus KLT6, a SEB-positive strain involved in food poisoning outbreak in Switzerland
Genome Announcements. 01/2013; -
Article: Microarray-based characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from chicken carcasses
Journal of food protection 01/2013; · 1.94 Impact Factor -
Dataset: Supplement1 Johler JCM 2011 Mat-Met
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Article: Comparison of genomic and antimicrobial resistance features of latex agglutination test-positive and latex agglutination test-negative-Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing bovine mastitis.
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ABSTRACT: The dairy industry suffers massive economic losses due to staphylococcal mastitis in cattle. The Staphaureux latex agglutination test (Oxoid, Basel, Switzerland) was reported to lead to negative results in 54% of bovine Staphylococcus aureus strains, and latex-negative strains are thought to be less virulent than Staphaurex latex-positive strains. However, comparative information on virulence and resistance profiles of these 2 groups of Staph. aureus is scarce. Our objective was to associate the latex agglutination phenotype of Staph. aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis milk with data on clonal complexes, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance to (1) determine the virulence profiles of the Staphaureux test positive and Staphaurex test negative groups, and (2) provide data needed to improve treatment of bovine mastitis and to identify potential vaccine targets. Seventy-eight Staph. aureus strains isolated from 78 cows on 57 Swiss farms were characterized. Latex agglutination was tested by Staphaureux kit, and resistance profiles were generated by disk diffusion. A DNA microarray was used to assign clonal complexes (CC) and to determine virulence and resistance gene profiles. By the Staphaureux test, 49% of the isolates were latex-positive and 51% were latex-negative. All latex-negative strains were assigned to CC151, whereas latex-positive strains were assigned to various clonal complexes, including CC97 (n = 16), CC8 (n = 10), CC479 (n = 5), CC20 (n = 4), CC7 (n = 1), CC9 (n = 1), and CC45 (n = 1). Although the latex-negative isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested, 24% of latex-positive isolates were classified as intermediate with regard to cefalexin-kanamycin and 13% were resistant to both ampicillin and penicillin. Microarray profiles of latex-negative isolates were highly similar, but differed largely from those of latex-positive isolates. Although the latex-negative group lacked several enterotoxin genes and sak, it exhibited significantly higher prevalence rates of genes encoding enterotoxin C, toxic shock syndrome toxin, and leukocidins (lukM/lukF-P83, lukD). Our findings suggest that latex-negative isolates represent a group of closely related strains with specific resistance and virulence gene patterns.Journal of Dairy Science 11/2012; · 2.56 Impact Factor
