Experimental foreign body infections in mice challenged with slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis.

The virulence of two previously described Staphylococcus epidermidis strains was examined in an experimental model of foreign body infection in mice. Animals challenged with the slime-producing strain developed three times as many infections as animals challenged with the strain that did not produce slime (P less than 0.001). Bacterial isolates recovered from the infected sites retained the characteristics of the inoculated strain. Animals without foreign bodies but challenged in a similar manner with either staphylococcal strain did not become infected. Thus, the presence of a foreign body predisposed the animals to S. epidermidis infection. These results indicate that the production of slime by S. epidermidis is a stable characteristic retained after animal passage and may be important in the pathogenesis of these infections.