Laboratory Observations on the Lysogenic Properties of Hospital Staphylococci and Their Possible Epidemiological Implications

Abstract

Lysogeny studies demonstrate that staphylococcus strains of the 80/81 complex (i.e. 80/81, 52/52A/80, and 52/52A/80/81, etc.) can be separated into subtypes by means of new phages isolated from strains within the complex. A situation is cited in which subtyping was necessary to clarify the epidemiology of a staphylococcus problem in a hospital surgical service. The new phages were also used for lyso-genizations which resulted in changes in type within the complex; e. g. 80/81 to 52/52A/80 or 52/52A/80/81; 52/52A/80 to 80/81 or 52/52A/80/ 81; 52/52A/80 of one subtype to 52/52A/80 of a different subtype; and 52/52A/80/81 to 80/81. Individuals were found from whom 2 or more of the types were isolated at the same or different times from the same or different sites. Such concommitantly isolated strains sometimes were lysogenic one for the other, adding support to the hypothesis, suggested by the authors as well as by other workers, than in vivo lyso-genizations may be responsible for variations in the phage patterns of strains isolated from nature.