Related Experiment Videos
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus caprae in a neonatal intensive care unit.
T L Ross1, E P Fuss, S M Harrington
1Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287-7093, USA.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|January 7, 2005
Summary
Staphylococcus caprae, a bacterium rarely linked to humans, was found in a neonatal intensive care unit. This methicillin-resistant strain caused bacteremia and persisted in the unit.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Healthcare Epidemiology
Background:
- Staphylococcus caprae is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus infrequently associated with human infections.
- Initial detection in infants with characteristics similar to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prompted further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of Staphylococcus caprae in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
- To determine the genetic relatedness and antimicrobial resistance of S. caprae isolates within the NICU setting.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective investigation over 8 months in a NICU.
- Identification using Automated RiboPrinter microbial characterization system.
- Molecular typing via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with ApaI and SmaI digestion.
Main Results:
- S. caprae caused 6 of 18 coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteremia episodes in infants.
- It was the most common coagulase-negative staphylococcus in infant nares and found on healthcare provider hands.
- All 13 NICU isolates were methicillin-resistant, carrying the mecA gene, and belonged to a single strain by PFGE.
Conclusions:
- Staphylococcus caprae is an important cause of bacteremia in NICU infants and can persist in this environment.
- S. caprae shares similarities with MRSA, including methicillin resistance and the presence of the mecA gene.
- PFGE with ApaI digestion provided higher discriminatory power for strain analysis compared to Automated RiboPrinter or SmaI digestion.