Fatal exudative dermatitis in island populations of red squirrels (<i>Sciurus vulgaris</i>): spillover of a virulent <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> clone (ST49) from reservoir hosts.

ABSTRACT: Fatal exudative dermatitis (FED) is a significant cause of death of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands where it is associated with a virulent clone of Staphylococcus aureus, ST49. S. aureus ST49 has been found in other hosts such as small mammals, pigs and humans, but the dynamics of carriage and disease of this clone, or any other lineage in red squirrels, is currently unknown. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize 228 isolates from healthy red squirrels on Jersey, the Isle of Arran (Scotland) and Brownsea Island (England), from red squirrels showing signs of FED on Jersey and the Isle of Wight (England) and a small number of isolates from other hosts. S. aureus was frequently carried by red squirrels on th

SUBMITTER: Fountain K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8209723 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature