Nosocomial infections by Staphylococcus epidermidis: how a commensal bacterium turns into a pathogen

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal bacterium of the human skin. However, S. epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) emerge also as common nosocomial pathogens infecting immunocompromized patients carrying medical devices. Antibiotic resistance and the ability of many noso...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of antimicrobial agents 2006-08, Vol.28, p.14-20
Main Authors: Ziebuhr, Wilma, Hennig, Susanne, Eckart, Martin, Kränzler, Hennes, Batzilla, Christoph, Kozitskaya, Svetlana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents
Biofilm formation
Biofilms
Biological and medical sciences
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS)
Cross Infection - drug therapy
Cross Infection - microbiology
Epidemiology
Genetic Variation
Humans
Medical sciences
Methicillin Resistance - genetics
Molecular Epidemiology
Multilocus sequence typing (MLST)
Nosocomial infections
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Phenotype
Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy
Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Staphylococcus epidermidis - drug effects
Staphylococcus epidermidis - genetics
Staphylococcus epidermidis - pathogenicity
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Summary:Staphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal bacterium of the human skin. However, S. epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) emerge also as common nosocomial pathogens infecting immunocompromized patients carrying medical devices. Antibiotic resistance and the ability of many nosocomial S. epidermidis isolates to form biofilms on inert surfaces make these infections hard to treat. Epidemiological analyses using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and genetic studies suggest that S. epidermidis isolates in the hospital environment differ from those obtained outside of medical facilities with respect to biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and the presence of mobile DNA elements. Since S. epidermidis isolates exhibit high genome flexibility, they are now regarded as reservoirs for the evolution and spread of resistance traits within nosocomial bacterial communities.
ISSN:0924-8579
1872-7913
DOI:10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2006.05.012