CHOP, Penn Medicine Unveil Tactics to Curb S. Aureus in NICU

Researchers identify strains of staph most likely to cause serious infections in vulnerable newborns

Feb. 10, 2026 at 10:31pm

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A new study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (Penn Medicine) has identified which strains of Staphylococcus aureus - commonly known as staph - are commonly transmitted in neonatal intensive care units and which specific strains are most likely to cause invasive and serious infections. The findings offer a critical blueprint for precision surveillance of staph in the NICU and provide an important foundation for reducing infections in vulnerable newborns.

Why it matters

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of severe infection in high-risk infants, with one in four healthcare-acquired infections in very preterm U.S. infants due to staph. This study aims to provide new strategies for prevention and control of staph transmission and infection in NICUs.

The details

Over three years, whole-genome sequencing showed that shared spaces and physical proximity were major drivers of staph transmission in the NICU. Stable colonization by two types of staph, MSSA and MRSA, occurred across all areas within the NICU, and an analysis of more than 1,000 staph genomes revealed strain-specific persistence and colonization patterns, with MSSA causing more colonization and invasive disease than MRSA.

  • The study was published on February 9, 2026.
  • The research was conducted over a three-year period.

The players

Lakshmi Srinivasan

An attending physician in the Division of Neonatology and the Pediatric Sepsis Program at CHOP, who led the bi-monthly surveillance sampling in the NICU.

Joseph Zackular

A researcher in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Co-Director of the Center for Microbial Medicine at CHOP, who was a co-senior study author.

Ahmed M. Moustafa

A researcher in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and Co-Director of the Center for Microbial Medicine at CHOP and the Sequencing Core Director of the CHOP Microbiome Center, who was a co-senior study author.

Paul J. Planet

An attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Co-Director of the Center for Microbial Medicine at CHOP, who was a co-senior study author.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

A non-profit, charitable organization and the nation's first pediatric hospital, which led the research study.

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What they’re saying

“Staph is a critical human pathogen and a major cause of severe infection in our highest-risk infants.”

— Joseph Zackular, Researcher, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Co-Director of the Center for Microbial Medicine at CHOP (Mirage News)

“Our study demonstrated that certain strains of staph pose significantly greater risk by being more transmissible and potentially more invasive, suggesting that a more effective prevention strategy might isolate and target the strains that cause the most infections.”

— Ahmed M. Moustafa, Researcher, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and Co-Director of the Center for Microbial Medicine at CHOP and the Sequencing Core Director of the CHOP Microbiome Center (Mirage News)

“This study provides a path forward for real-time interventions and improved surveillance that we hope can be implemented in NICUs around the country and improve the health and safety of preterm infants.”

— Paul J. Planet, Attending Physician, Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Co-Director of the Center for Microbial Medicine at CHOP (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to implement the findings from this study to develop new real-time interventions and improved surveillance strategies that can be adopted by NICUs across the country to better protect vulnerable preterm infants.

The takeaway

This study provides critical insights into the transmission and persistence of specific strains of Staphylococcus aureus in neonatal intensive care units, offering a blueprint for precision surveillance and targeted prevention efforts to reduce serious infections in high-risk newborns.