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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, January 2005, p. 363-367, Vol. 43, No. 1
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.1.363-367.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus caprae in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

T. L. Ross,¹ E. P. Fuss,^2, S. M. Harrington,¹ M. Cai,¹ T. M. Perl,^2,3 and W. G. Merz^1*

Department of Pathology,¹ Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control,² Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland³

Received 2 April 2004/ Returned for modification 17 May 2004/ Accepted 31 August 2004

Staphylococcus caprae, a hemolytic coagulase-negative staphylococcus that is infrequently associated with humans, was initially detected in specimens from six infants in our neonatal intensive care unit due to phenotypic characteristics common to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. These isolates were subsequently identified as S. caprae by the Automated RiboPrinter microbial characterization system. This prompted an 8-month retrospective investigation in our neonatal intensive care unit. S. caprae was the cause of 6 of 18 episodes of coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteremia, was the most common coagulase-negative staphylococcus recovered from the nares of 6 of 32 infants surveyed in a methicillin-resistant S. aureus surveillance program, and was isolated from 1 of 37 health care providers' hands. Of 13 neonatal intensive care unit isolates tested, all were methicillin resistant and positive for the mecA gene. All 21 isolates were found to be a single strain by Automated RiboPrinter and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with ApaI or SmaI digestion; ApaI was more discriminating in analyzing epidemiologically unrelated strains than Automated RiboPrinter or electrophoresis with SmaI. These findings extend the importance of S. caprae, emphasize its similarities to methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and demonstrate its ability to persist in an intensive care unit setting.

Present address: University of Maryland, Baltimore, Md.

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