There is a scarcity of published studies on the occurrence of Staphylococcus spp. Among dogs in South Africa. The objective of the study was to characterise the Staphylococcus spp. Isolated from dog samples submitted to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in South Africa in terms of time, place, and person. This study utilised a dataset of 1627 positive Staphylococcus isolates obtained from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in South Africa from 2012 to 2017. Out of the 1627 confirmed isolates, 10 different species of Staphylococcus were identified. Among these, 92.0% were classified as coagulase-positive staphylococci (CoPS), 6.0% were coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), and 3.0% were coagulase-variable. Male dogs contributed just over half (53.2%) of the Staphylococcus isolates, while female dogs contributed the remaining 46.8%. The largest proportion of isolates (23.2%) were obtained from dogs aged ≥ 9 years, with the highest number of isolates originating from KwaZulu-Natal Province (45.0%) and the least from Northern Cape Province (0.1%). Out of the total samples included in the records, the majority (46.0%) were skin specimens. The number of Staphylococcus isolates recorded showed limited variation between the seasons (24.3% in autumn, 26.3% in winter, 26.0% in spring, and 24.0% in summer). This study highlighted the diversity of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from dogs, and the burden of staphylococcal carriage among dogs in South Africa. Further research is required to examine the factors that contribute to the observed discrepancies in the proportions of Staphylococcus spp. between the provinces.

The pathogenic potential of vancomycin and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci (VMRCoNS) on Egyptian poultry farms has received little attention. Therefore, this study aims to study the prevalence of CoNS in imported poultry flocks and commercial poultry farms, evaluate the presence of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes (sea, seb, sec, sed, see, and mecA), and assess their pathogenicity in broiler chicks. Seven species were identified among 25 isolates, such as 8 S. gallinarum, 5 S. saprophyticus, 5 S. chromogens, 3 S. warneri, 2 S. hominis, 1 S. caprae, and 1 S. epidermidis. All isolates were resistant to clindamycin, doxycycline, vancomycin, methicillin, rifampicin, and penicillin. The mecA gene was confirmed in 14 isolates, while the sed gene was revealed in seven isolates. Commercial 1-day-old Ross broiler chicks were divided into eight groups of three replicates (10 birds/group): group Ӏ was negative control; groups (П, Ш, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII) were subcutaneously inoculated with 108 CFUml-1 of S. hominis, S. caprae, S. epidermidis, S. gallinarum, S. chromogens, S. warneri, and S. saprophyticus, respectively. Groups VIII and V had mortality rates of 100% and 20%, respectively, with no evidence of mortalities in the other groups. The highest re-isolation of CoNS species was recorded in groups VII, VIII, and V. Postmortem and histopathological examination revealed the common presence of polyserositis in the internal organs, and hepatic and myocardial necrosis in groups IV, V, and VI. These findings revealed the pathogenic potential of CoNS, so special attention must be directed toward their public health impact.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are increasingly becoming a public health issue worldwide due to their growing resistance to antibiotics and common involvement in complications related to invasive surgical procedures, and nosocomial and urinary tract infections. Their behavior either as a commensal or a pathogen is a result of strict regulation of colonization and virulence factors. Although functionality of virulence factors and processes involved in their regulation are quite well understood in S. aureus, little is known about them in CoNS species. Therefore, the aim of our studies was to check if clinical CoNS strains may contain virulence factors and genes involved in resistance to methicillin, that are homologous to S. aureus. Moreover, we checked the presence of elements responsible for regulation of genes that encode virulence factors typical for S. aureus in tested isolates. We also investigated whether the regulation factors produced by one CoNS isolate can affect virulence activity of other strains by co-incubation of tested isolates with supernatant from other isolates. Our studies confirmed the presence of virulence factor and regulatory genes attributed to S. aureus in CoNS isolates and indicated that one strain with an active agr gene is able to affect biofilm formation and δ-toxin activity of strains with inactive agr genes. The cognition of prevalence and regulation of virulence factors as well as antibiotic resistance of CoNS isolates is important for better control and treatment of CoNS infections.

UNASSIGNED: Although staphylococci are commensals of the skin and mucosa of humans and animals, they are also opportunistic pathogens. Some coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. (CoNS), such as S. haemolyticus and S. epidermidis, are reported to be zoonotic.
UNASSIGNED: The prevalence of coagulase positive (CoPS), CoNS and coagulase-variable Staphylococcus spp. isolated from human clinical cases in South Africa was investigated.
UNASSIGNED: Retrospective records of 404 217 diagnostic laboratory submissions from 2012 to 2017 were examined and analysed in terms of time, place and person.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 32 different species identified, CoPS were the most frequently isolated (74.7%), followed by CoNS (18.9%). Just over half (51.2%) of the Staphylococcus isolates were from males, while females contributed 44.8%. Patients aged 0-4 years contributed the most (21.5%) isolates, with the highest number coming from KwaZulu-Natal (32.8%). Urinary specimens accounted for 29.8% of the isolates reported. There was no variation in the number of Staphylococcus isolates reported in the autumn (25.2%), winter (25.2%), spring (25.1%) and summer (24.5%) seasons.
UNASSIGNED: This study demonstrated the diversity of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from humans and the magnitude of infection, with the most predominant species being S. aureus and S. epidermidis.
UNASSIGNED: Although most isolates were CoPS, the isolation of CoNS seen in this study suggests a need to improve infection control measures in a South African context. More research is needed to investigate the determinants of the observed variations in the study.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS), have a global impact as a public health threat contributing significantly to morbidity, mortality, and socio-economic costs. Accurate and rapid detection of MRS results in effective antimicrobial therapy, immediate patient isolation, dissemination control, and appropriate disinfection measures. Herein, we developed an in-house cefoxitin screening broth and compared it to the cefoxitin disk diffusion method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of MRS. Verification of this screening broth on 52 MRSA, 37 MRCoNS, 44 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), and 11 MSCoNS revealed greater validity for MRSA/MSSA than for MRCoNS/MSCoNS. The kappa coefficient of 0.87 was superior for determination of MRSA and MSSA, whereas it was 0.54, which was considered poor, for determination of MRCoNS and MSCoNS. Application of this assay to screen MRSA should be useful in clinical laboratories and hospital infection-control units.

To determine the prevalence and virulence factors of coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) in prosthetic joint infections (PJI).
CNS were isolated of 66 hip and knee PJI from Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, México City. Antimicrobial susceptibility and biofilm formation in CNS were determined; icaADBC, aap, bap and embp genes were determined by PCR.
Staphylococcus and Staphylococcus hominis were the most prevalent with 82 y 80% respectively. Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus caprae, Staphylococcus sciuri and Staphylococcus lentus were less frequent. The majority of isolates were resistant to β-lactam antibiotics, fluoroquinolone, and erythromycin. 41% of CNS were biofilm former and 59% were non-biofilm former (p = 0.0551). Biofilm former Staphylococcus epidermidis showed a high presence of icaADBC, aap and embp operons compared to the non-biofilm former isolates (p < 0.05). In contrast, non-S. epidermidis CNS had only the aap gen.
S. haemolyticus, S. sciuri and S. lentus are new isolates of PJI not previously reported with virulence factors similar to CNS isolates.
Estudiar la prevalencia y los factores de virulencia de Staphylococcus coagulasa negativos (SCN) de infecciones de prótesis articular (IPA).
Los SCN se aislaron de 66 pacientes con IPA de cadera y rodilla procedentes del Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, de Ciudad de México. Se determinaron la sensibilidad antimicrobiana y la producción de biopelículas de los SCN. Los genes icaADBC, aap, bap y embp fueron detectados por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa en SCN.
La IPA de cadera fue el 80%. Se aislaron en alta proporción S. epidermidis (82%) y S. hominis (80%), y en baja frecuencia S. lugdunensis, S. haemolyticus, S. capitis, S. caprae, S. sciuri y S. lentus. La mayoría de los aislamientos fueron resistentes a los betalactámicos, las fluoroquinolonas y la eritromicina. La producción de biopelículas se determinó en el 41% de los SCN y el 59% fueron no productores de biopelículas (p = 0.0551). S. epidermidis productores de biopelículas tuvieron mayor presencia del operón icaADBC, aap y embp que los aislamientos no productores de biopelícula (p < 0.05). Los SCN no S. epidermidis presentaron únicamente el gen aap.
S. haemolyticus, S. sciuri y S. lentus son aislamientos nuevos de IPA no reportados que poseen factores de virulencia, igual que las otras especies de SCN aisladas.

The coagulase-negative bacterium Staphylococcus condimenti and closely related species are commonly isolated from or found in starter cultures of fermented sausage as well as fish and soy sauces, and have traditionally been considered nonpathogenic. Recently, however, a case of catheter-related bacteraemia caused by S. condimenti was reported. In the present study we identified and characterized a strain of S. condimenti isolated from a patient with a severe soft tissue infection, comparing it to S. condimenti and S. carnosus type strains in order to elucidate the virulence potential of the clinical strain. Genome comparison showed high degree of conservation between the clinical strain and the type strain used in food industry, as well as with S. carnosus. The genome of the clinical S. condimenti strain contains few horizontally transferred regions and 37 putative virulence genes, including genes with similarity to leucocidin and genes involved in immune evasion, proinflammatory and cytolytic activity. However, it remains to be tested whether these putative virulence genes are expressed and functional. Although uncommon, S. condimenti may cause severe infection in previously healthy persons.

Staphylococcus pettenkoferi is a relatively recently described coagulase-negative staphylococci species first described in 2002. Since then, nine additional cases of infection caused by this species have been reported in various countries around the world, including Germany, Belgium, France, South Korea, Italy, Brazil and Mexico. The present report describes a case of S pettenkoferi peripheral line-associated bacteremia. To our knowledge, the present report is the first description of human infection caused by S pettenkoferi in Canada. The present report also provides an overview of the laboratory detection of uncommon coagulase-negative staphylococci.
Le Staphylococcus pettenkoferi est une espèce de staphylocoque à coagulase négative qui a été décrit pour la première fois en 2002. Depuis, neuf autres cas d’infections causées par cette espèce ont été signalés dans divers pays du monde, y compris l’Allemagne, la Belgique, la France, la Corée du Sud, l’Italie, le Brésil et le Mexique. Le présent rapport décrit un cas de bactériémie à S pettenkoferi associée à un cathéter périphérique. En autant que les auteurs le sachent, il s’agit du premier rapport d’infection humaine à S pettenkoferi au Canada, qui donne également un aperçu de la détection en laboratoire de staphylocoques à coagulase négative rares.