Staphylococcus Flashcards
Staphylococcus characteristics
-gram positive
-cocci (clusters of grapes)
-aerobic or facultatively anaerobic
-can be coagulase positive or negative (will appear as zone clearing on dish OR clots in tubes)
-colonies are generally creamy/white on blood agar
Staphylococcus biocontainment
level 2
Staphylococcus aureus characteristics
Blood agar:
-creamy white colonies
-hemolytic (beta-hemolysis)
CHROMagar:
-pink/purple colonies
Mannitol salt agar:
-yellow colonies
-coagulase occurs
Staphylococcus epidermidis characteristics
Blood agar:
-not hemolytic (no zone clearing)
-white colonies
Mannitol salt agar:
-does not ferment mannitol so not yellow!
-no coagulase occurs in tests
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius characteristics
Blood agar:
-beta hemolysis occurs (double zones)
-white/grey (often more than S. aureus)
Natural host or habitat
-part of normal microbiota (skin, mucous membranes, pharynx, intestinal tract)
-different species specific to different hosts (S. aureus colonize 30% people; S. pseudintermedius colonize 90% of dogs)
-environmental contamination may play role in hospital environments
Taxonomy of Staphylococcus genus
-64 species
-based on coagulase, hemolysis, hyaluronidase acetoin
What species is coagulase variable?
Staphylococcus schleiferi
>has two subspecies (schleiferi and coagulans)
need biochemical tests to differentiate
What differentiates with negative hemolysis (when coagulase positive)?
Staphylococcus hyicus
What differentiates with Hyaluronidase acetoin?
Positive: S. aureus
Negative: S intermedius group
Virulence factors of staphylococcus
-toxic shock syndrome toxin= superantigen
-enterotoxins= food poisoning
-exfoliates- skin damage (Scalded skin)
-leucocidins (ex. Panton-Valentine Leucocidin PVL; destruction of WBCs)
-MSCRAMM (facilitate adherence to host tissues and structures like fibronectin, fibrinogen, elastin, cellular lipids)
-Catalase (resists hydrogen peroxide)
-Hyaluronidase (degradation enzyme which facilitates spread to contiguous tissues)
Clinical significance of S aureus
- cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses- Mastitis
- Poultry- bumblefoot
- dogs and cats- opportunistic and skin infections
Clinical significance of S. pseudintermedius
- Dogs and cats- opportunistic and skin infections
Clinical significance of S schleiferi
Dogs- opportunistic and skin infections
Clinical significance of S hyicus
Pigs- exudative epidermitis (greasy pig)