High rate of neonates colonized by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species in an Intensive Care Unit.

Introduction: Staphylococcal colonization is a risk factor for healthcare-associated infections, which are frequent in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). This study analyzed microbiology, epidemiology and clinical aspects of Staphylococcus spp. colonizing neonates.

Methicillin resistance and virulence genes in invasive and nasal Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from neonates.

Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic pathogen involved in hospital-acquired infections, particularly in those related to medical devices. This study characterized 50 genetically unrelated S. epidermidis isolates from bloodstream infections (BSIs, n = 31) and nares (n = 19) of neonates in relation to staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) type, biofilm production and associated genes, and the arginine catabolic mobile elements (ACME), in order to detect virulence factors that could discriminate a potential invasiveness isolate or predict an increasing pathogenicity.

Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements in methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from a Brazilian neonatal care unit.

To characterize 46 methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from Brazilian neonates, we investigated their SCCmec type, susceptibility and clonality. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus were the prevalent species. SCCmec types III or IV were detected in 53.