DETECTION OF CLUMPING FACTOR-POSITIVE STAPHYLOCOCCUS-LUGDUNENSIS BY STAPHAUREX PLUS(R)

Staphaurex Plus(R) (Murex Diagnostics), a rapid agglutination test for detecting Staphylococcus aureus, was combined with the free coagulase test to search for the coagulase-negative species Staphylococcus lugd unensis and for S. aureus. Staphaurex Plus(R) detected 29 S. lugdunens is and 1602 S. aureus in our routine laboratory over 6 months. Further more, 10 out of 902 coagulase-negative staphylococci other than S. lug dunensis reacted with Staphaurex Plus(R). The sensitivity and specific ity for detecting S. aureus were 99.7% and 95.7%, respectively. Clumpi ng factor-positive S. lugdunensis can bind fibrinogen coated on the la tex particles of Staphaurex Plus(R). If this agglutination was conside red true positive, the specificity for S. aureus was 98.9%. We conclud e that Staphaurex Plus(R) is a highly sensitive and specific agglutina tion test for S. aureus and simultaneously detects clumping factor-pos itive S. lugdunensis. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.