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Phage typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci
P Boussard1, A Pithsy, M J Devleeschouwer
1Laboratoire de Microbiologie et d'Hygiène, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgique.
Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics
|June 1, 1992
Summary
Phage typing of staphylococcal strains revealed varying success rates. Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. capitis were readily typed, while other species showed moderate to low susceptibility to the employed phages.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Staphylococcal infections pose a significant public health threat.
- Accurate identification and characterization of staphylococcal species are crucial for effective treatment and control.
- Phage typing is a valuable tool for differentiating bacterial strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a specific set of bacteriophages for typing various staphylococcal species.
- To determine the susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) and Staphylococcus aureus strains to phage typing.
Main Methods:
- A collection of 387 staphylococcal strains, including CNS from blood cultures and skin, and S. aureus from blood cultures, were subjected to phage typing.
- Standardized phage typing protocols were applied using a defined set of bacteriophages.
Main Results:
- Phage typing was highly successful for Staphylococcus epidermidis (91/124 strains) and Staphylococcus capitis (24/43 strains).
- Moderate success was achieved for Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus hominis, and Staphylococcus simulans.
- Limited success was observed for Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Staphylococcus sciuri.
- Staphylococcus warneri, Staphylococcus xylosus, and Staphylococcus cohnii strains were untypable under the experimental conditions.
Conclusions:
- The effectiveness of phage typing varies significantly among staphylococcal species.
- The current phage set is most effective for typing S. epidermidis and S. capitis.
- Further development of phage typing sets may be necessary for comprehensive characterization of all staphylococcal species.