Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen for marine and terrestrial animals. S. aureus has co-evolved with some species and has become host species specific. However the bacteria are not exclusively linked with their host species and cross contamination to other species occurs. S. aureus in marine mammals could therefore be host species specific or originate from contamination of terrestrial sources.

The goal of this study was to determine whether marine mammals carry their own host species-specific S. aureus. Isolates from marine mammal samples were characterized by multi locus sequence typing of household genes. The found sequences were compared to known sequences in the dedicated S. aureus MLST database hosted by the Imperial College in London.

Four new strains were found in two harbor porpoises, one harbor seal and one elephant seal suggesting host species-specificity. The other seven strains, observed in three harbor porpoises, three harbor seals and a grey seal, held sequences which had previously been found in humans, domestic ruminants or birds. Possibly these latter strains had their origin in contamination of the seawater by human and or agricultural waste and bird predation. Further research in pristine areas may clarify if these suggested origins are real.

This research project was published in Veterinary Microbiology 156 (2012) 343–346

Acknowledgements

We thank the Scottish Strandings Scheme and SOS Dolfijn for providing samples for this study. The Scottish Stranding Scheme is operated under contract to the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA), with financial support from the Scottish Government Marine Directorate. SOS Dolfijn is a charity foundation with financial support of benefactors and the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk.

* Presenting author