Genomic Characterization of Clinical Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Ecuador Reveals Diverse Lineages and Genomic Similarity Among Sequence Type 2625 Isolates
5 affiliations
- 1Carrera de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón 092301, Ecuador
- 2Department of Biology and Physiology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
- 3Department of Morphological Disciplines, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
- 4Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital General San Vicente de Paúl, Ibarra 100150, Ecuador
- 5Carrera de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Ambientales, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ibarra 100150, Ecuador
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is characterized by substantial genomic diversity, with lineages differing in antimicrobial resistance, virulence-associated determinants, and accessory genetic content. However, genomic data from Ecuador remain comparatively limited. Here, we characterized five clinical S. aureus isolates recovered in Ibarra, Ecuador, using phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing, and compared them with publicly available Ecuadorian genomes. The isolates represented four sequence types (ST8, ST30, ST72, and ST2625), including four MRSA isolates and one MSSA isolate. Whole-genome analysis identified differences in antimicrobial resistance determinants, virulence-associated genes, and replicons, while phenotypic susceptibility profiles generally corresponded with the detected resistance traits. The Ecuadorian collection showed a diverse population structure, with ST8 predominating. Placement within globally circulating lineages showed that the ST8 isolates clustered with USA300-LV (CA12), the ST30 isolate with G2-Sg2-Pr, and the ST72 isolate with clade B. A focused phylogenomic analysis of ST2625 showed limited genomic divergence among Ecuadorian and international isolates, with broadly similar resistance and virulence-associated profiles. These findings add genomic data from northern Ecuador and illustrate variation in the genetic composition of circulating S. aureus lineages. Continued genomic surveillance across additional geographic settings may help clarify the distribution and diversity of S. aureus in the country.
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BibTeX
@article{vinueza2026genomic,
title = {{Genomic Characterization of Clinical Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Ecuador Reveals Diverse Lineages and Genomic Similarity Among Sequence Type 2625 Isolates}},
author = {Ariana Vinueza and Miroslava Anna Šefcová and Isaías Mejía Limones and Laura Bejarano and Renáta Szaboová and Róbert Herich and Gabriela Irene Andrade Mena and Anahí Rosero-Tixicuro and Pedro Barba and Marco Larrea-Álvarez},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27209135},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9135},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genomic Characterization of Clinical Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Ecuador Reveals Diverse Lineages and Genomic Similarity Among Sequence Type 2625 Isolates
AU - Ariana Vinueza
AU - Miroslava Anna Šefcová
AU - Isaías Mejía Limones
AU - Laura Bejarano
AU - Renáta Szaboová
AU - Róbert Herich
AU - Gabriela Irene Andrade Mena
AU - Anahí Rosero-Tixicuro
AU - Pedro Barba
AU - Marco Larrea-Álvarez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27209135
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9135
AB - Staphylococcus aureus is characterized by substantial genomic diversity, with lineages differing in antimicrobial resistance, virulence-associated determinants, and accessory genetic content. However, genomic data from Ecuador remain comparatively limited. Here, we characterized five clinical S. aureus isolates recovered in Ibarra, Ecuador, using phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing, and compared them with publicly available Ecuadorian genomes. The isolates represented four sequence types (ST8, ST30, ST72, and ST2625), including four MRSA isolates and one MSSA isolate. Whole-genome analysis identified differences in antimicrobial resistance determinants, virulence-associated genes, and replicons, while phenotypic susceptibility profiles generally corresponded with the detected resistance traits. The Ecuadorian collection showed a diverse population structure, with ST8 predominating. Placement within globally circulating lineages showed that the ST8 isolates clustered with USA300-LV (CA12), the ST30 isolate with G2-Sg2-Pr, and the ST72 isolate with clade B. A focused phylogenomic analysis of ST2625 showed limited genomic divergence among Ecuadorian and international isolates, with broadly similar resistance and virulence-associated profiles. These findings add genomic data from northern Ecuador and illustrate variation in the genetic composition of circulating S. aureus lineages. Continued genomic surveillance across additional geographic settings may help clarify the distribution and diversity of S. aureus in the country.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -