Antibiogram patterns of primary isolates of staphylococcus aureus in relation to enzymatic activity and phage type

The genus Staphylococcus is a member of the family Micrococcaceae which includes three other general Micrococcus, Planococcus and Aerococcus. The four which have the same morphology and gram reaction may be distinguished from each other on the basis of arrangement, the utilization of glucose, the presence or abscence of cytochromes, oxygen requirements, motility and the G + C content of DNA. (Table I), The genus Staphylococcus includes three species; S. aureus, S. epidermidis and S. saprophyticus. These may be distinguished from each other on the basis of coagulase production, mannitol utilization, production of alpha toxin, presence of heat resistant endonucleases, requirement of biotin for growth, sensitivity to novobiocin and cell wall composition (Table II). In the early studies involving phages types and antibiotic susceptibilities, dilution methods (MIC) were used to determine susceptibility. With the adoption of the Kirby-Bauer technique, its wide clinical use, and the dynamic changes occurring in the staphylococci with respect to antibiotic susceptibility and phage patterns. Reexamination of these relationships becomes important and essential. Since no studies of this kind have ever been attempted on staphylococci from this community, it was decided to investigate the problem with respect to enzymatic activity, antibiogram and phage type and compare the findings with those from other geographic locations