PHENOTYPIC VIRULENCE SIGNATURES AMONGST SKIN-BORNE STAPHYLOCOCCI ISOLATES CULTURED FROM APPARENTLY HEALTHY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION LOCATED IN EKPOMA, EDO STATE.
IGBINOSA N., WEMAMBU E. C. AND OBAYAGBONA O. N.
ABSTRACT
Staphylococcus species are normal commensals of the human skin but can act as opportunistic pathogens due to their possession of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance traits. This study was aimed at determining the virulence signatures and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Staphylococci species isolated from the skin of apparently healthy students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. Thirty (30) skin swab samples were collected from the forearms of undergraduate students and analyzed using standard microbiological and biochemical techniques. A total of twelve (12) Staphylococcus isolates were recovered, comprising Staphylococcus…