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Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control

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Open Access 01-12-2017 | Letter to the Editor

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in retail food in Singapore

Authors: Kyaw Thu Aung, Li Yang Hsu, Tse Hsien Koh, Hapuarachchige Chanditha Hapuarachchi, Man Ling Chau, Ramona Alikiiteaga Gutiérrez, Lee Ching Ng

Published in: Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

We characterised 227 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from retail food and food handlers’ gloves samples obtained through food surveillance and risk assessment studies between 2011 and 2014. Of 227 isolates, five (2.2%) were methicillin-resistant and belonged to sequence types ST80 (n = 3) and ST6 (n = 2). All five isolates belonged to SCCmec type IV, were Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl)-negative and staphylococcal enterotoxin genes-positive. Resistance to azithromycin was found in ST80 isolates, in addition to resistance to beta-lactams. Our finding of two clinically relevant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains (ST80 and ST6) in ready-to-eat food and food contact surfaces at retail in Singapore suggests food and food contact surfaces as potential environmental sources of MRSA in the community.

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Title: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in retail food in Singapore
Authors: Kyaw Thu Aung
Li Yang Hsu
Tse Hsien Koh
Hapuarachchige Chanditha Hapuarachchi
Man Ling Chau
Ramona Alikiiteaga Gutiérrez
Lee Ching Ng
Publication date: 01-12-2017
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 2047-2994
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-017-0255-3

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