Staphylococcus saprophyticus

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Staphylococcus saprophyticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Firmicutes
Class: Cocci
Order: Bacillales
Family: Staphylococcaceae
Genus: Staphylococcus
Species: S. saprophyticus
Binomial name
Staphylococcus saprophyticus
(Fairbrother 1940)
Shaw et al. 1951

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a coagulase-negative species of Staphylococcus bacteria (which are catalase-positive). S. saprophyticus is often implicated in urinary tract infections. S. saprophyticus is resistant to the antibiotic Novobiocin, a characteristic that is used in laboratory identification to distinguish it from S. epidermitis, which is also coagulase- negative.

The organism is rarely found in healthy humans but is commonly isolated from animals and their carcasses.

It is implicated in 10-20% of urinary tract infections (UTI). In females between the ages of ca. 17-27 it is the second most common cause of UTIs. It may also reside in the urinary tract and bladder of sexually active females. S. saprophyticus is phosphatase-negative, urease and lipase positive.

Some of the symptoms of this bacteria are burning sensation when passing urine, the urge to go to the toilet more often than usual, the 'dripping effect' after urination, weak bladder, bloated feeling with sharp razor pains in the lower abdomen around the bladder and ovary areas and razor-like pains during sexual intercourse.

Quinolones are commonly used in treatment of S. saprophyticus urinary tract infections.

Treatment

Antimicrobial Regimen

  • Urinary tract infections[1]

References

  1. Abramowicz, Mark (2011). Handbook of antimicrobial therapy : selected articles from Treatment guidelines with updates from The medical letter. New Rochelle, N.Y: The Medical Letter. ISBN 978-0981527826.