title: High prevalence of Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus in environmental samples of a Tunisian hospital.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate of detection of coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) in environmental samples of 17 services in a Tunisian hospital, determining the antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and genotypes of recovered isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first study that determines the prevalence of CoNS with correlation of antibiotic resistance in the hospital environment in Tunisia. CoNS were obtained from 83 of the 200 tested samples (41.5%). Staphylococcus haemolyticus was the most prevalent species (45.8%), followed by S. saprophyticus (36.1%). The remaining CoNS species detected were S. epidermidis, S. cohnii, S. warneri, S. sciuri, S. simulans, S. pasteuri, S. arlettae, and S. xilosus. Methicillin-resistant CoNS were detected in 20 of the 200 tested samples (10%), and the mecA gene was demonstrated in 18 S. haemolyticus, one S. epidermidis and one S. saprophyticus isolates. Methicillin susceptible isolates were detected in 63 samples (31.5%). Antimicrobial resistance genes detected were as follows (number of isolates): erythromycin [msr(A) (n = 32); erm(C) (n = 8)], tetracycline [tet(K) and/or tet(M) (n = 21)], gentamicin [aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia (n = 16)], kanamycin [(aph(3')-IIIa (n = 19)], tobramycin [ant(4')-Ia (n = 14)], and streptomycin [ant(6')-Ia (n = 3)]. The high frequency of detection of multi-drug-resistant CoNS in the hospital environment, especially S. haemolyticus and S. saprophyticus, is of relevance and could be due to cross-transmission between patients, staff, and environment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Raoudha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dziri
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Naouel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klibi
authors.affiliation: Area de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ben Said
authors.affiliation: Service d'hygiène hospitalière et de protection de l'environnement, Hôpital Militaire de Tunis HMPIT, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Ridha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellaaj
authors.affiliation: Area de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tenorio
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Abdellatif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boudabous
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules actives, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisie; Institut Supérieur des Sciences Biologiques Appliquées de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Slama
authors.affiliation: Area de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de La Rioja, 26006 Logroño, Spain. Electronic address: carmen.torres@unirioja.es.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D041162:Staphylococcus haemolyticus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D057790:Staphylococcus saprophyticus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014416:Tunisia
keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Coagulase negative staphylococci; Cross-contamination; Hospital environment; mecA