Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Clones Are Widely Distributed in the Hospital and Community

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) may be considered contaminants when isolated from clinical specimens but may also be a cause of true infection. This study aimed to compare the clonality and SCCmec type of a collection of CoNS isolated from blood cultures of inpatients, nasal swabs of healthy individuals, and patients with chronic wounds, all from the same community, using SCCmec typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and MLST. Staphylococcus epidermidis, exhibited high clonal diversity, but hospital and community clusters were observed. Nosocomial S. epidermidis clones belonged to sequence types ST2, ST6, and ST23. Some Staphylococcus haemolyticus clones were found to circulate in the hospital and community, while Staphylococcus saprophyticus exhibited very high clonal diversity. Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Staphylococcus warneri, and Staphylococcus capitis revealed several isolates belonging to the same clone in the hospital and community. The detection of different SCCmec types within the same cluster indicated high diversity. S. epidermidis was associated with SCCmec I and III, S. haemolyticus with I and II, S. capitis with type V, Staphylococcus hominis with mec complex type A and ccr1, and S. warneri and S. saprophyticus with SCCmec I. The generation of elements and new combinations of cassette genes were highly associated with CoNS isolates, suggesting that SCCmec may not be a good marker of clonality in these bacteria.

Newly identified pathogens in periodontitis: evidence from an association and an elimination study

“…Warneri is a coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) commonly present in human mucous membranes and epithelial microbiota. This microorganism has been considered a potential new pathogen in non-oral severe infections [ 36 , 37 ]; but has rarely been studied in periodontology. The epidemiology and the pathogenesis of S. warneri are still unclear [ 38 , 39 ].…”

Whole-Genome Sequence of Multidrug-Resistant Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis Carrying Biofilm-Associated Genes and a Unique Composite of SCCmec

“…S. epidermidis is part of the normal human flora, predominantly colonizing the adult skin [ 20 ], and on many occasions it is wrongly identified as a contaminant, despite causing many serious infections [ 14 ]. In recent years, it has become an important opportunistic pathogen causing nosocomial infections, and it tends to be multidrug-resistant [ 18 ].…”

“…In recent years, CoNS have attracted a lot of attention as pathogenic causes of infections in humans—particularly in immunocompromised, critically ill, or long-term hospitalized patients, and those with invasive medical devices, such as catheters. They have been connected to infections such as urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and infections caused by intrusive devices [ 14 ]. While distinguishing between harmless and pathogenic CoNS remains challenging, breakthroughs in diagnostic methods have increased our understanding of pathogenicity’s molecular mechanisms.…”

“…Among MRSE species, the IV(2B&5) SCCmec was reported as the most dominant SCCmec element type, and the SCCmec type III(3A) has been previously documented predominantly in healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections [ 17 ]. Although S. epidermidis is becoming an important opportunistic pathogen causing nosocomial infections, and tends to be more multidrug-resistant [ 18 ], it is often wrongly identified as a contaminant, despite causing many serious infections [ 14 ]. This study aimed to investigate and characterize the SCCmec elements, virulence factors, and ARGs in methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis strains isolated from clinical specimens.…”

Staphylococcus lugdunensis Infection of the Bilateral Axillaries

“…S lugdunensis has been identified in regions of the body rich in apocrine glands and has recently been implicated in infections in both healthy and immunosuppressed individuals. 5 Several studies have explored the relationship between skin flora composition and hidradenitis suppurativa. Guet-Revillet and colleagues 4 classified patients into 2 profiles: one of mixed anaerobes and another of S lugdunensis.…”