Effects of occlusion upon population dynamics of skin bacteria.

Quantitative and qualitative changes of the cutaneous aerobic bacterial flora upon 20 sites on the backs of each three healthy subjects were examined before and after one site was occluded, using skin flora maps as a tool. Major local alterations were found to affect the carriage of micro-organisms in distant surrounding areas. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most successful competitor. Furthermmore, some sites appeared to act as retricted reservoirs for specific types of micro-organisms whereas other areas were less limited in their support of flora.