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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

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
PubMed

Insights

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.

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