1Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
2Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
3Laboratory of Healthcare Associated Infections, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom
4Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
5Infection Control Program, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
6University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
7Amphia Hospital, Breda, the Netherlands
8VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam
9Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
10Statens Serum Institut (SSI, National Centre for Infectious Diseases), Copenhagen, Denmark
11Department of Microbiology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Erasme, Brussels, Belgium (affiliation where the work was started)
12Scientific Advice Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
13Department of Infectious Diseases, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
14National Reference Centre for Staphylococci, Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany