Vertebral osteomyelitis and prosthetic joint infection due to Staphylococcus simulans

Staphylococcus simulans, a coagulase-negative staphylococcus, is a common a nimal pathogen that is rarely encountered in human infections. We describe a 70-year-old man who developed multifocal vertebral osteomyelitis and late prosthetic joint infection caused by this pathogen. The patient was a farm er who had daily contact with cows and drank unpasteurized milk, although t he portal of the pathogen's entry remains speculative. Culture of the verte bral disk biopsy specimen and cultures during resection arthroplasty yielde d S simulans. A review of the literature suggests that S simulans may be mo re virulent than other species of coagulase-negative staphylococci. Accurat e identification of S simulans isolates would facilitate studies to further define its pathogenic role in human infections.