The staphylococci: an introduction

Abstract

1. Historical review, 1s 2. Ecology, 2 s 3. Taxonomy, 2s 4. Identification, 3s 5. Staphylococcal enterotoxin, 4s 6. Staphylococcal diseases, 4s 7. Growth, survival and destruction of staphylococci, 5s 8. Concluding remarks, 7s 9. References, 7s Historical reviewIn 1880 the Scottish surgeon, Sir Alexander Ogston published his carefully collected and evaluated data which conclusively showed that a cluster-forming coccus was the cause of a number of pyogenic diseases in man. Subsequently (Ogston 1882) he named the organism 'staphylococcus', a name derived from the Greek staphyle, meaning a bunch of grapes, and coccus, meaning a grain or berry. In a series of classical experiments he demonstrated that when pus containing staphylococci, and a culture of this organism derived from pus were injected into mice they developed the same symptoms as those observed in the wounds of the patients from whom the pus was taken. Furthermore, he found that if, before injection, the pus was heated or treated with phenol, disease did not occur. Ogston marvelled, as we still do today, at the extent of diseases caused by staphylococci. His clear descriptions of disease symptoms and his careful approach to the study of epidemiology are classical examples of the lasting value of accurate observation and careful deduction and should be read by all who are concerned with staphylococcal infections and disease.Rosenbach (1884) was probably the first person to grow staphylococci in pure culture and to study their characteristics in the laboratory. He considered that an organism which he isolated from pus was identical to that described by Ogston and he therefore adopted the name Staphylococcus for the genus which he erected to contain this organism. He observed that both white and orange colonies grew on solid media and named the orange colony-forming organism Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus and the white colony one Staphylococcus pyogenes albus. The use of trinomials caused some confusion amongst later taxonomists as they are illegitimate according to the strict rules of bacteriological nomenclature. However, as in a later part of the paper which contains the original descriptions of his organisms he used the name Staphylococcus aureus, the type species of the genus Staphylococcus is accepted as Staphy2ococcus aureus Rosenbach (Judicial Commission 1958).Since the original work by Rosenbach the scope and content of the genus Staphylococcus has changed enormously. Staphylococcus was placed in the family Micrococcaceae by Winslow et al. (1920). From 1908, and through the first five editions of Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, two species of staphylococci were recognized, i.e. Staph. aureus and Staph. epidermidis. In the 6th edition of the Manual the two species were transferred to the genus Micrococcus by Hucker (1948) who concluded that staphylococci and micrococci were not distinct, and that Micrococcus, as a generic name, had priority over Staphylococcus. However, the genus Staphylococcus was listed in the 7th edition by Evans (1...

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