A Review of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec (SCCmec) Types in Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) Species
- Author:
Huda Saber , Azmiza Syawani Jasni , Tengku Zetty Maztura Tengku Jamaluddin , Rosni Ibrahim ,
- Publication Type:Review Article
- Keywords:
CoNS;
epidemiology;
SCCmec types;
mecA gene
- From:Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
2017;24(5):7-18
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are considered low pathogenic organisms. However, they are progressively causing more serious infections with time because they have adapted well to various antibiotics owing to their ability to form biofilms. Few studies have been conducted on CoNS in both, hospital and community-acquired settings, especially in Malaysia. Thus, it is important to study their species and gene distributions. A mobile genetic element, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), plays an important role in staphylococci pathogenesis. Among CoNS, SCCmec has been studied less frequently than Staphylococcus aureus (coagulase-positive staphylococci). A recent study (8) conducted in Malaysia successfully detected SCCmec type I to VIII as well as several new combination patterns in CoNS species, particularly Staphylococcus epidermidis. However, data are still limited, and further research is warranted. This paper provides a review on SCCmec types among CoNS species.
