Clinical isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius masquerading as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Staphylococcus intermedius is a zoonotic organism that can be associated with human disease. We report two separate cases of S. intermedius infection in which a false-positive rapid penicillin binding protein 2a latex test in conjunction with the phenotypic properties of beta-hemolysis and coagulase positivity allowed the clinical isolates to masquerade as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the absence of mecA revealed the strains to be methicillin-susceptible S. intermedius.
Pottumarthy
Sudha
S
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Box 357110, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Schapiro
Jeffrey M
JM
Prentice
Jennifer L
JL
Houze
Yolanda B
YB
Swanzy
Susan R
SR
Fang
Ferric C
FC
Cookson
Brad T
BT
D000328:Adult; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003030:Coagulase / Q000378:metabolism; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification
D003030:Coagulase; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins