TY - JOUR
T1 - Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus from humans to green monkeys in the Gambia as revealed by whole-genome sequencing
AU - Senghore, Madikay
AU - Bayliss, Sion
AU - Kwambana-Adams, Brenda
AU - Foster-Nyarko, Ebenezer
AU - Menneh, Jainaba
AU - Dione, Michel
AU - Badji, Henry
AU - Ebruke, Chinelo
AU - Doughty, Emma
AU - Thorpe, Harry Arthur Frank Wright
AU - Jasinska, Anna
AU - Schmitt, Christopher
AU - Cramer, Jennifer
AU - Turner, Trudy
AU - Weinstock, George
AU - Freimer, Nelson
AU - Pallen, Mark
AU - Feil, Edward
AU - Antonio, Martin
PY - 2016/10
Y1 - 2016/10
N2 - Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen of humans and animals. We genome sequenced 90 S. aureus isolates from The Gambia: 46 isolates from invasive disease in humans, 13 human carriage isolates, and 31 monkey carriage isolates. We inferred multiple anthroponotic transmissions of S. aureus from humans to green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) in The Gambia over different time scales. We report a novel monkey-associated clade of S. aureus that emerged from a human-to-monkey switch estimated to have occurred 2,700 years ago. Adaptation of this lineage to the monkey host is accompanied by the loss of phagecarrying genes that are known to play an important role in human colonization. We also report recent anthroponotic transmission of the well-characterized human lineages sequence type 6 (ST6) and ST15 to monkeys, probably because of steadily increasing encroachment of humans into the monkeys' habitat. Although we have found no evidence of transmission of S. aureus from monkeys to humans, as the two species come into ever-closer contact, there might be an increased risk of additional interspecies exchanges of potential pathogens.
AB - Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen of humans and animals. We genome sequenced 90 S. aureus isolates from The Gambia: 46 isolates from invasive disease in humans, 13 human carriage isolates, and 31 monkey carriage isolates. We inferred multiple anthroponotic transmissions of S. aureus from humans to green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus) in The Gambia over different time scales. We report a novel monkey-associated clade of S. aureus that emerged from a human-to-monkey switch estimated to have occurred 2,700 years ago. Adaptation of this lineage to the monkey host is accompanied by the loss of phagecarrying genes that are known to play an important role in human colonization. We also report recent anthroponotic transmission of the well-characterized human lineages sequence type 6 (ST6) and ST15 to monkeys, probably because of steadily increasing encroachment of humans into the monkeys' habitat. Although we have found no evidence of transmission of S. aureus from monkeys to humans, as the two species come into ever-closer contact, there might be an increased risk of additional interspecies exchanges of potential pathogens.
KW - Staphylococcus aureus, Homo sapiens, anthroponosis, The Gambia, African green monkeys, Chlorocebus sabaeus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84987909415&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/AEM.01496-16
DO - 10.1128/AEM.01496-16
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84987909415
VL - 82
SP - 5910
EP - 5917
JO - Applied and Environmental Microbiology
JF - Applied and Environmental Microbiology
SN - 0099-2240
IS - 19
ER -