A mouse model of Staphylococcus catheter-associated biofilm infection.

Biofilms are adherent communities of bacteria contained within a complex matrix. Staphylococcal species are frequent etiological agents of device-associated biofilm infections in humans that are highly recalcitrant to antimicrobial therapy and alter host immune responses to facilitate bacterial persistence. Here we describe a mouse model of catheter-associated biofilm infection, which can be utilized to investigate the importance of various staphylococcal determinants on disease progression as well as the host immune response to staphylococcal biofilms.