New species of bacteria named after Singapore: Staphylococcus Singaporensis

Singapore — Scientists in Singapore have identified and named a new species of bacteria after Singapore, proving the country now had the capability of investigating the future emergence of new bacteria that could cause severe diseases or outbreaks.

The unexpected discovery was made by a team of doctors analysing the skin and wound samples, the National University Hospital said on Wednesday in a media release.

Staphylococcus singaporensis sp.nov (S. singaporensis) is part of the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) complex known for causing conditions from mild skin and wound infections to surgical and potentially fatal bloodstream infections.

The study, involving research groups from the National University Hospital (NUH), National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH), was first published on Oct 26, in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

The researchers were studying bacteria isolates grown in a laboratory that appeared to be related to S. aureus.

During the whole genome sequencing to compare and analyse the isolates, they discovered that six out of the 43 were quite different from the other members of the S. aureus complex.

The six isolates were later confirmed to be a new species, with S. singaporensis also lacking many of the toxin genes commonly found in S. aureus.

“This new species probably existed all along, and nobody noticed it earlier,” said Associate Professor Raymond Lin, director of the National Public Health Laboratory at the NCID.

“The identification of this new species using the latest laboratory tools shows that our scientists in Singapore have the capability to investigate future emergence of new bacteria which may cause outbreaks or severe disease,” he explained.

Prof Lin added that everyone would likely be infected by the S. aureus complex at some point in their lives.

However, “there remains much to be done to understand the differences, if any, between these organisms in terms of clinical infections and prognosis,” said Dr Chew Ka Lip, a consultant in microbiology at NUH’s Department of Laboratory Medicine.

“This could potentially lead to more tailored clinical care management of our patients to optimise outcomes.”

It was reported that the six isolates had been deposited in international strain repositories.

It is not the first time Singapore has had the honour of naming something. In 1981, the orchid Vanda Miss Joaquim, named after Miss Agnes Joaquim, who bred the flower in her garden at Tanjong Pagar, was declared the national flower of Singapore.

Ms Joaquim grew the hybrid orchid, a cross between Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teres, eventually being recorded as Singapore’s first orchid hybrid and the world’s first Vanda hybrid. It is known for its beauty and hardiness, akin to the country’s resilience, notes the National Heritage Board. /TISG

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