Studies on the ecology of Staphylocococcus Aureus and the epidemiology of Staphylococcal infections

Abstract

The differentiation of strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from infections and elsewhere in the environment has been difficult in the past because of the lack of suitable laboratory techniques for testing easily recognised and stable strain characters. This has made the epidemiological study of staphylococcal infections unsatisfactory and the resulting lack of precise knowledge of the sources and routes and modes of spread has interfered with the development of successful preventive methods. More recently the use of techniques such as the coagulate test and bacteriophage and serological typing tests have beer, more successful in defining strains and are being used more and more to study the epidemiology of staphylococcal Infections. In recent years staphylococcal infections have received more attention than in the past, due to an apparent increase in their incidence, especially in hospital, and also because of the ability of Staphylococcus aureus to adapt itself to anti¬ bacterial agents which have been introduced for its control. There is need therefore for a detailed investigation of the sources, routes and modes of spread of staphylococcal infection and the part played by antibiotics in their epidemiology.