title: Observations on the resistance to drying of staphylococcal strains.
abstract: Death rates have been determined for staphylococcal strains dried on cotton blanket material and stored at room temperature in the dark and in the light. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains that produced a golden pigment and had a wide distribution within the hospital survived for longer periods than MRSA strains that produced little pigment and had a restricted local distribution. Death rates of methicillin-sensitive strains of S. aureus at day 7 were similar to those of the general epidemic MRSA strains, and there was no significant difference between the death rates at day 7 of the local epidemic MRSA strains and the coagulase-negative strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Beard-Pegler
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stubbs
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vickery
mesh_terms: D001512:Bedding and Linens; D003030:Coagulase / Q000032:analysis; D003890:Desiccation; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D008712:Methicillin; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013472:Sunlight
chemical_list: D003030:Coagulase; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D008712:Methicillin