Taxonomy of coagulase-negative staphylococci: a comparison of two widely used classification schemes

In a comparative study 351 strains of Micrococcus subgroups 1-3 (Baird-Parker, 1963, 1965, 1974) were classified according to the Kloos and Schleifer scheme (1975b). The results showed that Micrococcus subgroups 1, 2 and 3 are heterogeneous groups in the Kloos and Schleifer scheme. Strains belonging to Micrococcus subgroups 1 and 2 were mostly classified by the Kloos and Schleifer criteria as Staphylococcus hominis, Micrococcus subgroup 3 strains from the skin as S. cohnii, while Micrococcus subgroup 3 strains from urinary infections were classified mainly as S. saprophyticus. The correlation of novobiocin resistant S. saprophyticus biotype III (Baird-Parker, 1974) with S. saprophyticus (Kloos and Schleifer, 1975a, 1975b) when isolated from urine, was 80%. Although the Kloos and Schleifer scheme provides more information about biochemical characters, doubts are expressed about the validity of some of the species so delineated.