Disk with high oxacillin content discriminates between methicillin-resistant and borderline methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains in disk diffusion assays using a low salt concentration
Författare
Summary, in English
A separation between mecA+ strains of Staphylococcus aureus and strains lacking mecA was achieved by the disk diffusion assay and the agar dilution method, utilizing disks containing 5 microg of oxacillin and inocula of approximately 5 x 10(5) CFU/spot, respectively, provided that agar with 0 to 0.5% NaCl and incubation at 30 degrees C were employed. The 5-microg oxacillin disks clearly discriminated between borderline methicillin-susceptible and mecA+ strains. The oxacillin MICs were more affected by the inoculum density and salt concentration than were the methicillin MICs, and oxacillin MICs of 4 to 16 microg/ml were obtained for strains lacking mecA. Significantly higher levels of beta-lactamase production and reduced oxacillin susceptibilities were recorded for strains lacking mecA, in particular strains of phage group V, when agar with >/=2% NaCl was used than when agar with 0 to 0.5% NaCl was employed. The results indicate that the borderline methicillin-susceptible phenotype is a salt-dependent in vitro phenomenon of questionable clinical relevance.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
1999
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
2047-2050
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Volym
37
Issue
6
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
American Society for Microbiology
Ämne
- Microbiology in the medical area
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1098-660X