Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify and determine antibiotic susceptibility of coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from chronic blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and keratitis. DNA hybridization using a 1.8-kb fragment probe from Enterococcus hirae (Gen Bank accession number U22540) was performed to compare 19 strains of S. epidermidis. Forty-two S. epidermidis, 4 S. warneri, 3 S. capitis, 2 S. hominis, one each of S. xylosus, S. simulans, S. equorum, and S. lugdunensis were identified. Thirty- seven CoNS were resistant to penicillin, 12 to gentamicin, 28 to tetracycline, 18 to erythromycin, 4 to ciprofloxacin, 6 to vancomycin, and 1 to teicoplanin. On the whole, 18 strains were resistant to 3 or more antibiotics. All S. epidermidis isolates were positive for chromosomal DNA fingerprinting with the 1.8-kb fragment probe; 12 patterns were obtained. Species of CoNS apart from S. epidermidis may be isolated from corneal and external infection. Antibiotic susceptibility of CoNS is unpredictable; multidrug-resistant species are common. No clear relationship was found between the strains of S. epidermidis studied with identical chromosomal DNA and a specific ocular infection.

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