Adherence and survival properties of an epidemic methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus compared with those of methicillin-sensitive strains

Abstract

The adherence of epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-1 (EMRSA-1) to HEp2 cells and fibronectin and its survival on formica blocks were compared with the equivalent properties of methicillin-sensitive strains of S. aureus. EMRSA-1 bound to HEp2 cells and fibronectin significantly less than the other strains of S. aureus tested, but survival on formica blocks was similar for all strains except the 'Oxford' S. aureus, which survived poorly.