Key Findings

The study identified several Staphylococcus aureus lineages in free-living red deer, including CC425, CC2671, and CC350, which were prevalent in nasal and intestinal samples. Resistance genes such as blaZ, blaI, blaR, and ermA were detected, along with virulence factors like lukM/lukF-P83, seb, sak, chp, and scn. No methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was found.