Staphylococcus warneri
Encyclopedia
Staphylococcus warneri is a member of the bacterial genus Staphylococcus
, consisting of Gram-positive
bacteria with spherical cells appearing in clusters. It is coagulase
-negative and is a common commensal organism found as part of the skin flora
on humans and animals. Like other coagulase-negative staphylococci, S. warneri rarely causes disease, but may occasionally cause infection in patients whose immune system
is compromised.
.
It has been associated with meningoencephalitis in a dog.
Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Under the microscope they appear round , and form in grape-like clusters....
, consisting of Gram-positive
Gram-positive
Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink...
bacteria with spherical cells appearing in clusters. It is coagulase
Coagulase
Coagulase is a protein produced by several microorganisms that enables the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. In the laboratory, it is used to distinguish between different types of Staphylococcus isolates. Coagulase negativity excludes S. aureus. That is to say, S...
-negative and is a common commensal organism found as part of the skin flora
Skin flora
The skin flora are the microorganisms which reside on the skin. Most research has been upon those that reside upon the 2 square metres of human skin. Many of them are bacteria of which there are around 1000 species upon human skin from 19 phyla. The total number of bacteria on an average human has...
on humans and animals. Like other coagulase-negative staphylococci, S. warneri rarely causes disease, but may occasionally cause infection in patients whose immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
is compromised.
Identification
Colonies of S. warneri are usually beige, tan, or yellow, and about 2–4 mm in diameter after 48 hours' incubation at 35 degrees CelsiusCelsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
.
Clinical importance
S. warneri has been suggested as a cause of abortion in cattle and humans. It has been associated with vertebral discitis urinary tract infection meningitis orthopedic infections ventricular shunt infections endocarditisIt has been associated with meningoencephalitis in a dog.