Rapid methicillin resistance diversification in Staphylococcus epidermidis colonizing human neonates

Abstract

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a widespread early colonizer in the neonatal skin and a cause of hospital-acquired infections. Here, using whole-genome sequencing of 632 cultured S. epidermidis isolates derived from premature infants, the authors characterize the spatiotemporally strain-level genomic variability, finding patient-specific colonization signatures and a fast gain and loss of the antibiotic resistance gene mecA via the evolution of genotypically diverse structural variants.