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Objective To evaluate the diversity and molecular characteristics of livestock associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in livestock animals, food of animal origin and the environment in the Czech Republic. Methods After having been primarily enriched in buffered peptone water, the samples were cultured on Baird–Parker agar. Presumptive colonies were sub-cultured to blood agar and assessed morphologically. Furthermore, presumptive Staphylococcus aureus colonies were confirmed by MALDI-TOF. Multiplex PCR, spa -typing, and MLST have been used to characterize the strains. Each mecA- positive Staphylococcus aureus isolates were examined against 14 different antimicrobials by using disk diffusion method. Results In this study, 13 different spa -types belonging to five sequence types (ST) were detected. Ninety four percent of tested strains belonged to CC/ST398 for which t011, t034, t2123 and t2346 were the vast major spa -types. In addition, non-ST398 clones such as CC1(t127), ST5(t3598), ST8(t064) and ST361(t315) were detected, which are known as human associated clones. Conclusions The diversity of livestock associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has grown, and detecting lineages of human origin in animals and vice-versa becomes more common. Thus, livestock animal and its products will be a potential for the evolvement of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in human population. Monitoring of pigs as well as other food-producing animal species and their products is therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present pilot study aimed at evaluating air sampling as a novel method for monitoring Campylobacter in poultry farms. We compared the bacteriological isolation of Campylobacter from boot swabs and air filter samples using ISO 10272–1:2017. A secondary aim was to evaluate the use of molecular methods, i.e. real time PCR, on the same sample set. Samples from 44 flocks from five European countries were collected, and included air samples, in parallel with boot swabs. Campylobacter spp. was isolated from seven of 44 boot swabs from three of five partners using the enrichment method. Two of these positive boot swab samples had corresponding positive air samples. Using enrichment, one positive air sample was negative in the corresponding boot swabs, but Campylobacter spp. was isolated from direct plating of the boot swab sample. One partner isolated Campylobacter spp. from six of 10 boot swabs using direct plating. Overall, 33 air filter samples were screened directly with PCR, returning 14 positive results. In conclusion, there was a lack of correspondence between results from analysis of boot swabs and air filters using ISO 10272–1:2017. In contrast, the combination of air filters and direct real-time PCR might be a way forward. Despite the use of the detailed ISO protocols, there were still sections that could be interpreted differently among laboratories. Air sampling may turn into a multi-purpose and low-cost sampling method that may be integrated into self-monitoring programs. • Air sampling as a novel approach to detect foodborne pathogens. • Multi-country application of ISO standard for Campylobacter cultivation. • Combination of air sampling and real-time PCR to avoid lengthy enrichment steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]