Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa
Dissertation (MSc (Medical Microbiology))--University of Pretoria, 2014.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613719995875328 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Ehlers, M.M. (Marthie Magdaleen) |
| author_browse | Ehlers, M.M. (Marthie Magdaleen) |
| author_facet | Ehlers, M.M. (Marthie Magdaleen) |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Dissertation (MSc (Medical Microbiology))--University of Pretoria, 2014. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110122 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:37.576Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110122 Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa Ehlers, M.M. (Marthie Magdaleen) u29203954@tuks.co.za Kock, Martha Magdalena Barakzai, Iqra staphylococci enterococci MRSA SCCmec spa agr PFGE MLST Dissertation (MSc (Medical Microbiology))--University of Pretoria, 2014. Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species are considered as two of the leading causes of animal and human associated diseases worldwide. Among the genera, Staphylococcus and Enterococcus, species of S. aureus, E. faecalis and E. faecium are considered of significant importance due to their pathogenic ability to acquire and transfer antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors. Despite being major pathogens of healthcare settings for a number of decades, an increased number of reports regarding the emergence of staphylococci and enterococci in pigs and close human contacts have been published, indicating their zoonotic potential. Research regarding the prevalence of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species has mostly been conducted in Europe. In South Africa, limited data is available on the prevalence of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species. Two articles from the North-West and Eastern Cape Province reported on the prevalence but not on the genetic relatedness of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species of animal origin. The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot survey to (i) determine the prevalence and to characterise Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species and to (ii) determine the genetic relatedness of selected S. aureus, E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates that are currently circulating in pigs, close human contacts and water samples in Gauteng province. xv During May to August 2012, a total of 242 samples were collected. Identification and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined using the VITEK® 2 system. Enterococci [66% (92/140)] were the most dominant Gram-positive bacteria [58% (140/242)] followed by staphylococci [27% (38/140)]. The vanB genotype was detected in S. aureus [22% (2/9)] and E. faecalis [26% (16/61)] isolates. Two S. aureus isolates harboured the mecA gene. The two methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates were typed as; SCCmec type IV, protein A positive and belonged to agr group I and agr group III respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for the S. aureus isolates revealed pulsotype A [57% (4/7)] and subtype A1 [43% (3/7)]. Both MRSA isolates belonged to pulsotype A. The PFGE showed that the majority of E. faecalis isolates belonged to pulsotype A [52% (15/29)] and subtype A1 [48% (14/29)]. The E. faecium isolates belonged to pulsotype A [75% (3/4)]. Multilocus sequence typing of four representative E. faecalis isolates identified ST16, ST225 and ST256. Sequence type 16 has previously been isolated from pigs in European countries and belongs to clonal complex 58 (CC58). According to the E. faecalis MLST database, ST225 and ST256 are considered as recent STs and to our knowledge this is the first report regarding the prevalence of these STs in pigs in Gauteng, South Africa. Molecular techniques remain important tools for characterisation of staphylococcal and enterococcal strains. Although, only two MRSA isolates were identified, it is still a concern, since these bacteria can easily be transmitted to susceptible animals or humans. Future research regarding implementation of animal and environmental surveillance studies are required to screen more farms, situated in different provinces to determine the prevalence of pathogenic staphylococcal and enterococcal species among livestock animals and their close human contacts to prevent possible outbreaks in future. Medical Microbiology MSc (Medical Microbiology) 2026-05-15T17:26:21Z 2026-05-15T17:26:21Z 14/12/10 2014 Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110122 en application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | staphylococci enterococci MRSA SCCmec spa agr PFGE MLST Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa |
| title | Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa |
| title_full | Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa |
| title_short | Characterisation of clinically important Staphylococcus and Enterococcus species prevalent in livestock, human contacts and water samples in Gauteng, South Africa |
| title_sort | characterisation of clinically important staphylococcus and enterococcus species prevalent in livestock human contacts and water samples in gauteng south africa |
| topic | staphylococci enterococci MRSA SCCmec spa agr PFGE MLST |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110122 |