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Erroneous reporting of coagulase-negative Staphylococci as Kocuria spp. by the Vitek 2 system.

Ben-Ami R, Navon-Venezia S, Schwartz D, Schlezinger Y, Mekuzas Y, Carmeli Y

Infectious Diseases Unit, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel.

Misidentification of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) may delay appropriate treatment. We investigated 20 clinical isolates identified as Kocuria spp. by the Vitek 2 system. All were identified as CoNS by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (18 Staphylococcus epidermidis, 1 Staphylococcus haemolyticus). Four Kocuria isolates were shown to be identical to CoNS from the same patient by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Isolates identified by Vitek 2 as Kocuria most likely represent misidentified CoNS, and if clinically indicated, should be investigated further by genomic methods.

Published 7 March 2005 in J Clin Microbiol, 43(3): 1448-50.
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