Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are considered low pathogenic organisms.
However, they are progressively causing more serious infections with time because they have
adapted well to various antibiotics owing to their ability to form biofilms. Few studies have been
conducted on CoNS in both, hospital and community-acquired settings, especially in Malaysia.
Thus, it is important to study their species and gene distributions. A mobile genetic element,
staphylococcal cassette chromosome
mec (SCC
mec), plays an important role in staphylococci
pathogenesis. Among CoNS, SCC
mec has been studied less frequently than
Staphylococcus aureus
(coagulase-positive staphylococci). A recent study (8) conducted in Malaysia successfully detected
SCC
mec type I to VIII as well as several new combination patterns in CoNS species, particularly
Staphylococcus epidermidis
. However, data are still limited, and further research is warranted.
This paper provides a review on SCC
mec types among CoNS species.