Clonality of slime-producing methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci disseminated in the neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital.
Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MR-CNS) (n = 132), isolated from pre-term neonates, were analysed to determine their antibiotic resistance patterns, clonal distribution, biofilm production and the presence of the ica operon. All MR-CNS were multiresistant, and 89% produced slime. A major clone was identified (77 isolates) among 115 Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates. Ten of 16 Staphylococcus haemolyticus isolates also belonged to a single clone. Most (80%) slime-positive isolates possessed all the ica genes tested, while the remaining 23 (20%) had a variety of gene combinations. The entire ica cluster was detected in three of 15 slime-negative isolates. One major and two minor slime-positive, multiresistant MR-CNS clones had disseminated among hospitalised pre-term neonates.
Foka
A
A
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Chini
V
V
Petinaki
E
E
Kolonitsiou
F
F
Anastassiou
E D
ED
Dimitracopoulos
G
G
Spiliopoulou
I
I
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D003030:Coagulase / Q000032:analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D003030:Coagulase; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial