Staph Infection

Staphylococcus Aureus Infection

Staphylococcus Aureus Infection is a species of Staphylococcus that produces a golden pigment with some color variations and is commonly found on the skin or nose of healthy people. It is also responsible for a number of phylogenic infections, such as boils, carbuncles, and abscesses. S. aureus infections have become increasingly more difficult to treat because of the development of resistance to penicillin-related antibiotics. These bacteria are called methicillin-resistant S. aureus or MSRAs. Staphylococcus is a group of bacteria that can cause a number of diseases as a result of infection of various tissues of the body. Staphylococcus is more commonly known as Staph. Staph-related illness can range from mild and requiring no treatment to severe and potentially fatal. The name Staphylococcus comes from the Greek staphyle, meaning a bunch of grapes and that is what Staph bacteria looks like under the microscope, like a bunch of grapes. Staphylococci exist in air, dust, sewage, water, milk, and food or on food equipment, environmental surfaces, humans, and animals. Humans and animals are the primary reservoirs. Staphylococci are present in the nasal passages and throats and on the hair and skin of 50 percent or more of healthy individuals. There are over 30 different types of Staphylococci that can infect humans, but most infections are caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococci can be found normally in the nose and on the skin. In the majority of cases, the bacteria do not cause disease. However, damage to the skin or other injury may allow the bacteria to overcome the natural protective mechanisms of the body, leading to infection.

Staphylococcus Aureus produces three types of toxins: cytotoxins, pyrogenic toxins, and exfoliative toxins. Antitoxin antibodies are protective against toxin-mediated staphylococcal illness. Enterotoxins and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 act as “superantigens” or T cell mitogens and cause the...