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Small-colony variants of Staphylococcus aureus
1Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Berne, Friedbuhlstrasse 51, CH 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
British Journal of Biomedical Science
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Small-colony variants (SCVs) of Staphylococcus aureus are difficult to detect due to slow growth, potentially leading to inaccurate antibiotic susceptibility reporting. Understanding SCVs is crucial for effective treatment of persistent S. aureus infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pathogen Research
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a significant pathogen.
- Small-colony variants (SCVs) are a distinct subpopulation of S. aureus.
- SCVs exhibit slow growth and altered characteristics, often linked to electron transport defects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the clinical significance of S. aureus SCVs.
- To address the diagnostic challenges posed by SCVs in clinical microbiology.
- To discuss the implications of SCVs for antibiotic susceptibility testing and therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing knowledge on S. aureus SCVs.
- Analysis of SCV characteristics, isolation, and clinical relevance.
- Examination of antimicrobial resistance patterns associated with SCVs.
Main Results:
- SCVs are associated with persistent and recurrent S. aureus infections.
- SCVs can evade host immune responses and are resistant to certain antibiotics (e.g., aminoglycosides, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole).
- Standard diagnostic methods may fail to detect SCVs due to their slow growth, leading to reporting errors.
Conclusions:
- The underdiagnosis of S. aureus SCVs can result in significant antimicrobial susceptibility reporting errors.
- Optimal therapeutic strategies for infections involving SCVs require further investigation.
- Current infection control measures for S. aureus are applicable to SCVs.