Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Whole-Genome Sequencing-Based Screening of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Patients and Healthcare Workers in Public Hospitals in Benin

Carine Laurence Yehouenou
* ORCID logo ,
Bert Bogaerts
,
Kevin Vanneste
,
Sigrid C.J. De Keersmaecker
ORCID logo ,
Nancy H.C. Roosens
ORCID logo ,
Arsène A. Kpangon
ORCID logo ,
Dissou Affolabi
,
Anne Simon
,
Francis Moise Dossou
,
Olivia Dalleur
Version 1 : Received: 28 June 2023 / Approved: 29 June 2023 / Online: 29 June 2023 (12:46:22 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Laurence Yehouenou, C.; Bogaerts, B.; Vanneste, K.; De Keersmaecker, S.C.J.; Roosens, N.H.C.; Kpangon, A.A.; Affolabi, D.; Simon, A.; Dossou, F.M.; Dalleur, O. Whole-Genome Sequencing-Based Screening of MRSA in Patients and Healthcare Workers in Public Hospitals in Benin. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 1954. Laurence Yehouenou, C.; Bogaerts, B.; Vanneste, K.; De Keersmaecker, S.C.J.; Roosens, N.H.C.; Kpangon, A.A.; Affolabi, D.; Simon, A.; Dossou, F.M.; Dalleur, O. Whole-Genome Sequencing-Based Screening of MRSA in Patients and Healthcare Workers in Public Hospitals in Benin. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 1954.

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) constitutes a serious public health concern with a considerable impact on patients' health and substantial healthcare costs. In this study, patients, and healthcare workers (HCWs)from six public hospitals in Benin were screened for MRSA. Strains were identified as MRSA using conventional microbiological methods in Benin and confirmed using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry in Belgium. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used on confirmed MRSA isolates to characterize their genomic content and study their relatedness. In total,304 and 61 samples were collected from patients and HCWs, respectively. The mecA gene was detected in all isolates. The isolates were assigned to five sequence types (STs), with ST8 (55.6%, n=15), ST152 (18.52%, n=5), and ST121 (18.52%, n=5) being the most common. All isolates carried multiple virulence genes, including genes encoding the Panton-Valentine leukocidin toxin (48.15%, n=13) and the test gene (29.63%, n=8) associated with toxic shock syndrome. The presence of strains carrying numerous genomic features associated with antibiotic resistance and virulence in HCWs is a major public health concern. This study highlights the need to implement a multimodal strategy for reducing the risk of cross-transmission of MRSA in hospitals.

Keywords

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; healthcare workers; whole genome sequencing; low-or middle-income countries

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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