A Species Profile of Skin Staphylococci and the Distribution of Drug Resistant Strains among Five Antibacterial Agents in Staphylococcal Species

One hundred and forty-six strains of staphylococci were isolated from three exposed skin parts on the arm, forehead and crown of the head of 42 female junior college students. Isolated staphylococci were identified as the following ten species; S. aureus, S. simulans, S. xylosus, S. cohnii, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophyticus, S. warneri, S. hominis, S. capitis, S. epidermidis and unideitified staphylococci. Ninety-six percent of the isolated strains were coagulase negative staphylococci which were subdivided into 85% of S. epidermidis species group, 6% of S. saprophyticus species group and 3% of S. simulans as indicated by Kloos with the nuclear DNA homology of Staphylococcus species. The sensitivity tests were carried out to isolated skin staphylococci with five antibacterial agents. PCG resistant staphylococci were 46 (32%) of 146 strains, but high PCG resistant strains were not isolated. Staphylococci resistant to four other agents, KM, DOXY, EM, and CP were 4 (2.7%), 12 (8.2%), 11 (7.5%), and 6 (4.1%) strains respectively, and 9 of the EM resistances and 2 of the CP resistances were high resistant strains of MIC≥100μg/ml. The same staphylococci of 146 strains were reinvestigated with a distribution of drug resistance in the above ten species. Comparisons were attempted with three divided groups of staphylococcal species; 62 strains of S. epidermidis, 38 strains of S. capitis and 46 strains of the remaining eight species. PCG resistant strains were recognized in 44% of the S. epidermidis and 37% of the eight species, but PCG resistant S. capitis was only recognized in 5% of the tested strains, corresponding to 1/4-1/5 of the distribution ratios of the other two groups. Though KM resistant strains distributed in an equal ratio to each of the three groups, DOXY, EM, and CP resistant strains of S. epidermidis and S. capitis were only 1/3, 1/7 and 1/3 of the distribution ratios of eight species. These results suggest that drug resistances are not evenly acquired and transferred among the species of skin Staphylococcus.