The Staphylococcus aureus complex: implications for the clinical microbiology laboratory.

Abstract

In the last 15 years, advances in diagnostic microbiology have enabled more detailed characterization of human bacterial pathogens. These changes have led to the description of new species within the Staphylococcus aureus complex, including S. aureus subspecies anaerobius, Staphylococcus argenteus, and Staphylococcus schweitzeri. In this minireview, we discuss the history, epidemiology, microbiology, genomics, and clinical significance of the S. aureus complex and provide a guide for laboratories to reliably detect and differentiate these novel species.