The most prevalent species were S. epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus hominis harboring mainly SCCmec types II, III, and V. Overall, the presence of multiple SCCmec was associated with non-MDR, except for S. epidermidis. S. epidermidis isolates showed a high prevalence of icaD, but had low phenotypic biofilm formation. PFGE and MLST revealed high genetic diversity in the S. epidermidis population.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our results suggest a major shift in SCCmec types within a short period and reveal a different behavior of S. epidermidis with regard to the association between the presence of multiple SCCmec types and MDR profile.