Abstract
The ability ofStaphylococcus epidermidis to produce biofilm was compared in 147 clinically significant strains repeatedly isolated from blood cultures of patients with bloodstream infection and in 147 strains isolated from skin. The strains were examined for the presence ofica operone, for the ability to form biofilm by Christensen’s test-tube method and for the production of slime by Congo Red agar method. Theica operone was found in 92 (62.6 %) blood isolates and in 44 (29.9) isolates from skin. Christensen’s test-tube method was positive in 79 (53.7) and 33 (22.4), Congo Red agar method in 64 (43.5) and 31 (21.1) of blood and skin isolates, respectively. All three methods were more frequently positive in clinically significant isolates from blood than in strains isolated from skin. The detection ofica operone and the Christensen’s test-tube method showed better correlation with the clinical significance than the Congo Red agar method.
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This work was supported by grant no. 6818-3/2001 from theInternal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic.
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Růžička, F., Holá, V., Votava, M. et al. Biofilm detection and the clinical significance ofStaphylococcus epidermidis isolates. Folia Microbiol 49, 596–600 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02931540
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02931540