Characterisation of Staphylococcus argenteus in Christchurch, New Zealand, and comparison to global strains.

Staphylococcus argenteus (SARG) is a newly discovered species within the S. aureus (SAUR) complex and has been documented from various locations worldwide. In this article we describe the genomic features of five strains of SARG found in Christchurch, New Zealand. Isolates were first detected in 2019 using MALDI-TOF identification and identification confirmed using whole genome sequencing. Genomic features such as antimicrobial resistance markers and virulence factors were compared to other SARG sequences in NCBI GenBank. All five isolates belonged to ST2250 but clustered in different clades using core genome analysis. Three isolates contained staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IV 2Bc with mecA gene which conferred resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. The five strains shared many of the virulence genes found in SAUR but no TSST-1 or PVL pathogenic genes were detected. This publication adds further data on occurrences and genomic features of SARG.