A Pachyderm Story: Staph in Zoo Staff

An African elephant calf born prematurely at a zoo in San Diego County, California, underwent a venous cutdown for provision of total parenteral nutrition. The animal subsequently developed cellulitis at that site and pustules elsewhere, which grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), strain USA300 — the most common type of community-acquired MRSA in humans. Concurrently, 20 of the elephant’s 55 caretakers, primarily those who had the closest physical contact with the calf, also developed confirmed or suspected MRSA skin infections. The organism was not found in environmental samples or in cultures obtained from 11 other African elephants, including the calf’s mother.