Pathogenicity and Antimicrobial Resistance in Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

Abstract

The coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) group was considered saprophytic or rarely pathogenic for many years. Since the first case of septicemia caused by CoNS, there has been a progressive increase in the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections caused by CoNS. The CoNS group has emerged as one of the main causes of nosocomial infections related to vascular catheters and prostheses, especially among immunocompromised patients. This gradual increase in infections is due to the change in the relationship between patients and procedures since CoNS are closely related to devices implanted in the human body. CoNS are successful in colonizing the host because they have several virulence mechanisms, such as biofilm formation and production of enzymes and toxins, in addition to several mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobials. Despite their great clinical relevance, few studies have focused on CoNS’s pathogenicity and resistance to antimicrobials, which reveals the current need to better understand the factors by which this group became pathogenic to humans and other animals. This review aims to synthesize the aspects related to the pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance in CoNS.