About the Authors

Andreas E. Zautner

azautne@gwdg.de

Affiliation Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock, Germany

Merit Krause

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Otto Körner, Rostock, Germany

Gerhard Stropahl

Affiliation Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Rostock, Rostock, Germany

Silva Holtfreter

Affiliation Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany

Hagen Frickmann

Affiliation Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock, Germany

Claudia Maletzki

Affiliation Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock, Germany

Bernd Kreikemeyer

Affiliation Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock, Germany

Hans Wilhelm Pau

Affiliation Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Otto Körner, Rostock, Germany

Andreas Podbielski

Affiliation Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Rostock, Germany

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: AEZ HWP AP. Performed the experiments: AEZ GS SH HF CM BK. Analyzed the data: AEZ GS SH HF CM AP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AEZ MK HWP. Wrote the paper: AEZ AP. Processing of all samples: AEZ. Microbiological analysis: AEZ. Susceptibility testing: AEZ. MSCRAMM-Multiplex-PCR, Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis: AEZ. Statistical analysis: AEZ. Recruitment of patients: MK, HWP. Performing surgery: MK, HWP. Collection of specimen: MK, HWP. Immunohistology (data collection, data analysis): GS. Spa-typing (data collection and data analysis): SH. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH, data collection, data analysis): HF. Flow cytometric invasion assays (data collection): CM. Biofilm analysis (data collection): BK. Design of the study: AP. Participation in data analysis: AP. Result interpretation and manuscript writing: AP.