Co-occurrence of benzylpenicillin-producing Trichophyton erinacei and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus carrying the mecC gene on Europeaus erineaus (European hedgehog)

Wild European hedgehogs (Europeaus erineaus) has been described to have a high carriage rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with the mecC gene (mecC-MRSA). Due to this frequent occurrence it has been suggested that hedgehogs could be the natural reservoir for mecC-MRSA. However, the reason why hedgehogs carry mecC-MRSA remains unknown, but it has been hypothesized that since hedgehogs also can carry dermatophytes which have been indicated to have the ability to produce a penicillin-like substance it might be a fitness advantage for S. aureus to become penicillin- and/or methicillin-resistant. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate if hedgehogs in Sweden carry Trichophyton spp. or other dermatophytes and to provide evidence that these dermatophytes are able produce penicillin or similar substances. In addition, the study aimed to identified if dermatophytes co-occurred with mecC-MRSA. In total 23 hedgehogs were investigated, and it was shown that two carried Trichophyton erinacei which produced benzyl-penicillin, and that these hedgehogs also carried mecC-MRSA. The study also confirmed the high occurrence of mecC-MRSA among hedgehogs showing that 60%, n = 14, of the hedgehogs carried this bacterium. The study thus lends support to the hypothesis that mecC-MRSA could have selective advantage in the presence of Trichophyton erinacei producing benzyl-penicillin on hedgehogs and that mecC-MRSA could be a wild-life associated MRSA (WA-MRSA).