Prevalence of coagulase negative Staphylococcus species among hospital personnel and surgical patients.

: Two hundred and fourteen strains of Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CNS) isolated from hospital personnel (114 strains) and patients (100 strains) were identified upto species level. The prevalence rate of CNS in relation to sex, sources and type of specimens were analysed. Most of the CNS strains belonged to S. epidermidis (49.1% among carriers and 39% in clinical isolates) and S. hominis (36% each). Besides, five more CNS species, namely S. saprophyticus, S. capitis, S. haemolyticus, S. cohnii and S. xylosus were also isolated. (0.5 to 10.3% isolation rates). Maximum S. hominis isolated were from hospital personnel and urine from patients (63.4% and 72.2%, respectively), 50.0% and 33.3% of S. hominis were found from urine and blood, respectively. The present study revealed that the leading species S. epidermidis and S. hominis may play an important role in the nosocomial infections, especially among immunocompromised hosts during their hospital stay.