Résumé
Chronic wound infections, particularly diabetic foot ulcers, present significant challenges in clinical management. Differentiating between colonized and infected wounds is crucial for effective treatment. This study focuses on the microbiota of chronic wounds, with an emphasis on the characterization of the resistome and virulome of a specific coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus caprae, among a collection of 45 strains isolated between 2019 and 2024. Through comprehensive microbiological analysis and genomic determination, and virulome and resistome assessment, we aim to elucidate the pathogenic role of S. caprae in diabetic foot infections. Clinical data from patients with diabetic foot infections were also collected. Our findings suggest that S. caprae is organized into two main clades (I and II), with two subclades (II-a and II-b), displaying high genetic diversity among isolates without correlation to clinical conditions, although clade II showed a higher incidence of amputations. This species exhibits low antibiotic resistance but carries significant virulence factors (notably allowing biofilm formation and acquiring iron), contributing to the complexity of chronic wound management. The identification of clonal strains a year apart in the same osteitis in a diabetic patient suggests bacterial persistence, reinforcing the hypothesis that these staphylococci are not merely benign colonizers. These insights could inform targeted therapeutic strategies and ultimately improve patient outcomes.