Sensitivity to antibiotics and the disinfectant chloramine of Staphylococci isolated from healthy and sick persons

Five hundred and twenty seven strains of Staphylococcus aureus with massive contamination of at least 10(3) when estimated quantitatively were tested for their sensitivity to antibiotics and chloramine B. The staphylococcal strains were isolated from patients, air and stock of rooms in medical institutions, from medical personnel and healthy persons having no long-term contacts with hospital media i. e. from pregnant women and workers of confectionery plants. Among the isolates there were strains simultaneously sensitive to antibiotics and chloramine B (16.6 per cent), sensitive to antibiotics but resistant to chloramine B (5.5 per cent), resistant to antibiotics but sensitive to chloramine B (63.1 per cent) and resistant to antibiotics and chloramine B (15.3 per cent). Staphylococci resistant simultaneously to antibiotics and chloramine B were isolated from the persons of all the groups and from the air and stock of the rooms in the medical institutions. This showed the necessity of controlling sensitivity or staphylococci circulating in hospital media not only to antibiotics but also to disinfectants for providing more efficient prophylaxis of intrahospital infections.     

The sensitivity to antibiotics and chloramine B of opportunistic microorganisms isolated from patients

Strains of staphylococci, klebsiella, proteins, blue pus bacillus and enterobacteria resistant not only to antibiotics but also to chloramine, a disinfectant, were isolated from the test material samples obtained from patients with different purulent-inflammatory processes. The following strains are revealed among the test microorganisms: sensitive simultaneously to antibiotics and chloramine; sensitive to antibiotics but resistant to chloramine; sensitive to chloramine but resistant to antibiotics; simultaneously resistant both to antibiotics and chloramine.     

Typing of Streptococcus group A isolated from patients and healthy persons

The typing of 80% of 381 streptococcal strains, group A, under study was accomplished with a set of diagnostic anti-T sera obtained from the Sevak Institute (Czechoslovakia). None of the T-types could be related with certainty to the localization of the infective agent in the human body (the pharynx, the skin). Different T-types were shown to circulate in definite regions of the USSR. To enhance the differentiating capacity of T-typing, the enzymatic (lipoproteinase and NADase) activity of the strains was determined, thus permitting the subdivision of the T-types into still smaller groups. The typing of OF+ strains of unknown M-specificity could be carried out by means of the blood sera of healthy persons, containing antibodies to streptococcal lipoproteinase. The conclusion on the expediency of using the determination of lipoproteinase and NADase as an additional marker in the typing of group A streptococci was made.     

Enterotoxin production by staphylococci isolated from healthy goats

The ability of 342 staphylococcal isolates from different anatomical sites in healthy goats to produce staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) was investigated. SE were produced by 74.3% of the 70 coagulase-positive strains and by 22% of the coagulase-negative strains studied. Most enterotoxigenic strains were isolated from the skin of udders and teats and from milk. SEC was the SE type most frequently produced, either alone (67.9%) or in combination with others. Five coagulase-negative species not previously reported as SE producers were identified (Staphylococcus chromogenes, S. warneri, S. sciuri, S. saprophyticus, and S. lentus). SEA, SEB, and SEC were detected in the milk of 17 of the 133 healthy goats studied. These results suggest that the goat is an important reservoir of enterotoxigenic staphylococci, most of which produce SEC.     

Antagonistic interrelationships between the staphylococci and Sarcina isolated from the upper respiratory tracts of virtually healthy persons]

The antagonistic activity of staphylococci isolated from the mucosa of the anterior parts of the nose of practically healthy persons was studied with respect to 102 strains of Sarcinia. Staphylococcus aureus had the most pronounced inhibitory effect on Sarcinia. No difference in the antagonistic activity of the staphylococci isolated from the carriers of the permanent and transitory types was found. However, Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the permanent carriers had a broader activity spectrum.     

Enterotoxin production by staphylococci isolated from healthy goats.

The ability of 342 staphylococcal isolates from different anatomical sites in healthy goats to produce staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) was investigated. SE were produced by 74.3% of the 70 coagulase-positive strains and by 22% of the coagulase-negative strains studied. Most enterotoxigenic strains were isolated from the skin of udders and teats and from milk. SEC was the SE type most frequently produced, either alone (67.9%) or in combination with others. Five coagulase-negative species not previously reported as SE producers were identified (Staphylococcus chromogenes, S. warneri, S. sciuri, S. saprophyticus, and S. lentus). SEA, SEB, and SEC were detected in the milk of 17 of the 133 healthy goats studied. These results suggest that the goat is an important reservoir of enterotoxigenic staphylococci, most of which produce SEC.     

Biological properties of opportunistic enterobacteria isolated from healthy persons and from patients with intestinal dysbacteriosis

The comparative study of the signs of pathogenicity in 724 enterobacterial strains and in some species of nonfermenting microorganisms isolated from the feces of 115 somatic patients with intestinal dysbacteriosis and 80 healthy persons (565 strains) has revealed that microorganisms belonging to the same species may essentially differ in their occurrence, in the activity of the enzymes (DNAase, RNAase, phosphatase) which they release into the culture medium, as well as in their capacity to give the positive reaction with Congo red. At the same time, the cultures isolated in cases of intestinal dysbacteriosis have been found to be biologically more active.     

Coagulase-negative staphylococci strains resistant to oxacillin isolated from neonatal blood cultures

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the microorganisms most frequently isolated from clinical samples and are commonly found in neonatal blood cultures. Oxacillin is an alternative treatment of choice for CoNS infections; however, resistance to oxacillin can have a substantial impact on healthcare by adversely affecting morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to detect and characterise oxacillin-resistant CoNS strains in blood cultures of newborns hospitalised at the neonatal ward of the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Botucatu. One hundred CoNS strains were isolated and the mecA gene was detected in 69 of the CoNS strains, including 73.2% of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains, 85.7% of Staphylococcus haemolyticus strains, 28.6% of Staphylococcus hominis strains and 50% of Staphylococcus lugdunensis strains. Among these oxacillin-resistant CoNS strains, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type I was identified in 24.6%, type II in 4.3%, type III in 56.5% and type IV in 14.5% of the strains. The data revealed an increase in the percentage of CoNS strains isolated from blood cultures from 1991-2009. Furthermore, a predominant SCCmec profile of the oxacillin-resistant CoNS strains isolated from neonatal intensive care units was identified with a prevalence of SCCmec types found in hospital-acquired strains.     

CPRMethicillin resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from South Korean ducks exhibiting tremor

Background

We describe coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates collected from ducklings exhibiting tremor in South Korea over the period of 2010 to 2011. Screening of antimicrobial susceptibility and analysis of SCCmec elements of CoNS were also investigated.

Results

Staphylococcus cohnii was the most frequent staphylococcus (9 isolates) and S. sciuri (4 isolates), S. lentus (3 isolate), S. simulans (1 isolate) and S. epidermidis (1 isolate) were also detected. Among the 15 antimicrobials tested in this study, resistance against oxacillin (15 isolates, 83.3%) was most frequently observed, but only one isolate (SNUDS-1) possessed mecA. This isolate was shown to possess SCCmec type III; the type 3 ccr complex and the class A mec complex.

Conclusions

Based on these results, isolate SNUDS-1 was shown to possess SCCmec type III; the type 3 ccr complex and the class A mec complex. Although the SCCmec type III is not predominant in human, MR-CoNS (Methicillin resistance Coagulase-negative staphylococci) in food animals should be monitored to prevent the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes and resistant pathogens to the community.

     

Proposed virulence factors among coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from two healthy populations

Proposed virulence factors, including multiple antibiotic resistance and slime-mediated adherence, among coagulase-negative staphylococci colonizing healthy individuals from two different study populations were examined. Resistance to methicillin was more commonly seen than initially anticipated. In addition, adherence characteristics, as quantitated by a microtiter plate method, were very similar to those of strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci causing nosocomial infections.