# Staphylococcus aureus SPREAD (S. aureus Study of Prevalence Resistance and Environmental Dissemination)

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2022 · $710,565

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterial species that causes infections of the skin, lungs, blood and
internal organs. These infections can have their onset in the community or in the health care
setting, including those caused by antimicrobial-resistant strains called methicillin-resistant S.
aureus (MRSA). About 28-50% of all people are asymptomatic carriers of this species on their
bodies. The interaction of S. aureus strains in the community and in hospitals has not been
adequately studied. While we think that S. aureus can spread from person to person in
hospitals, we are not sure how often that happens, if some strains spread more readily than
others in the hospital, and how often infections result from the S. aureus bacteria that patients
bring with them on their own bodies. Also, it is unclear how important fomites (inanimate
objects) or the bodies of healthcare workers (HCWs) are as intermediate carriers in spreading S.
aureus from patient to patient in the hospital. This study will be based on data from whole
genome sequencing (WGS) of S. aureus collected in two units at the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania (HUP). For 24 months, we will test all patients upon admission for S. aureus
colonization of 4 body sites. For a subset of subjects colonized with S. aureus, we will test
fomites in their hospital room for S. aureus. We will choose control patients who are not
colonized with S. aureus on admission and test their room fomites to determine what the risk
factors are for acquisition and spread of S. aureus in the hospital. Using WGS we will test all of
the bacteria causing infections on the study units to see how often specific strains spread, and
we will determine whether some genetic traits of S. aureus make them more likely to spread
and/or more likely to cause infections. In addition, each month, we will test a sample of the
noses and gloves of HCWs on study units to see if they carry S. aureus. We will test common
areas of these units to see if fomites carry S. aureus. We will determine if any of the spreading
S. aureus strains are found on HCWs or common-area fomites. We will examine all infecting S.
aureus isolate genomes from the entire 850-bed HUP during an overlapping 2-year period to
identify evidence for distant spread of S. aureus causing an infection. We hope to better
understand the genetic markers of virulence and transmissibility in S. aureus. We will test the
hypothesis that strains of S. aureus that spread develop a distinct collection of plasmids, which
are mobile genetic elements coding for antibiotic resistance or virulence factors that S. aureus
may or may not carry. With these results, we may be able to identify patients carrying high-risk
S. aureus isolates and develop strategies to prevent the spread of this bacterium in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10366417
- **Project number:** 1R01AI158452-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Zdenek David
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $710,565
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10366417

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10366417, Staphylococcus aureus SPREAD (S. aureus Study of Prevalence Resistance and Environmental Dissemination) (1R01AI158452-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10366417. Licensed CC0.

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