Recent data show that more than 50% of catheter-associated bloodstream infections are caused by staphylococci. Staphylococcal infections produced
by intercellular-adhesion cluster (ica) carriers can be even more problematic due to
the presence of methicillin and mupirocin resistance genes. In the present study, a
multiplex PCR protocol that allows the simultaneous identification of staphylococci and detection of both the ica and methicillin and/or mupirocin resistance genes
was developed. Furthermore, the method allows differential detection of the ica
locus from Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. [Int
Microbiol 2004; 7(1):63–66]
