title: Phage susceptibility, enterotoxigenicity and antibiograms of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from human wounds and diarrhoea.
abstract: The phage types, enterotoxigenicity and antibiograms of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from human diarrhoea and skin wounds in Nigeria were determined. Of 194 strains tested, 140 (72.2%) were typable using a combination of phages in the International Phage Set (IPS) for human strains of S. aureus and the bovine phage set. IPS phages lysed 118 (60.8%) strains while 96 (49.5%) were susceptible to bovine phages. S. aureus strains from adult diarrhoea were significantly (P less than or equal to 0.01; x2) more sensitive to bovine phages (52.8%) than to IPS human phages (16.7%). Strains isolated from wounds were however significantly (P less than or equal to 0.001; x2) more susceptible to IPS human phages (72.9%) than to bovine phages (41.5%). Phage group III strains were predominant amongst diarrhoeal isolates while wound strains were most susceptible to group II phages. Phage 119, a bovine phage, lysed all 19 strains of diarrhoeal origin sensitive to group M phages but all wound strains were resistant. Overall, 132 (68.0%) strains were enterotoxigenic producing staphylococcal enterotoxins A (SEA), B (SEB), C (SEC) or a combination of these. A majority of diarrhoeal strains elaborated SEC while SEB production was predominant amongst wound strains. Of the eight antimicrobial agents used, S. aureus strains were most resistant to penicillin (71.6%) and least to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (1.0%). Occurrence of resistance to one or more antibiotics was higher amongst wound strains (97.5%) than amongst strains isolated from diarrhoea (52.6%). It was concluded that bovine phage 119 may be a useful epidemiologic marker for S. aureus strains of bovine origin associated with human diarrhoea in Nigeria. It is however difficult to ascribe any aetiological significance to these strains because other enteropathogens not assayed for may have been present.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adesiyun
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Schaal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009549:Nigeria; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004768:Enterotoxins