Staphylococcus (staph) is a bacteria that lives in 20 to 30 percent of people and rarely causes a problem. But when the body's natural defense mechanisms are injured, through a break in the skin for example, staph can turn into an infection. About 30 different types of staph that can cause infection, but staphylococcus aureus is the most common. Staph bacteria are hearty. They are able to survive on inanimate objects and can't be killed by salt, drying or extreme temperatures.
Diseases Caused by Staph
Staph can cause infection in different parts of the body. On the skin, it can cause minor infections such as a boil or sty. It can also cause more severe infections including impetigo, crusting of the skin; and cellulitis, inflammation beneath the skin. If it gets into the heart valves, it can lead to endocarditis and heart failure. Staph also can cause food poisoning when ingested and pneumonia when it reaches the lungs. When it enters the blood stream, it may cause sepsis and can lead to shock and circulatory collapse.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs of a staph skin infection include pain, redness or rash, swelling and pus around the area of the infection. Difficulty breathing, tiredness, fever and chills are signs of pneumonia and endocarditis. Staph food poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. Signs of sepsis include fever, rapid heart beat and respiration, and changes in behavior.
Risk Factors and Prevention
Anyone can get a staph infection, but it most commonly affects babies, people with diabetes and cancer, intravenous drug users and those with compromised immune systems. Invasive devices such as urinary catheters, feeding tubes and breathing tubes can increase the risk of getting a staph infection. Contact sports also increases the risk. The best way to cut down on the risk is to wash your hands frequently and do not share personal items such as towels, razors or sporting equipment. Immediately clean all wounds and keep them covered.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The most common way to test for staph is through tissue sample or a swab of the nasal mucus. Blood or urine samples also may be tested. Staph is highly adaptable and several strains have developed a resistance to many different antibiotics. For non-resistant strains, available are several antibiotics available including nafcillin, cefazolin, dicloxacillin, clindamycin and bactrim. Resistant strains require a more aggressive approach.
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cannot be cured with the usual treatments. It requires much more powerful antibiotics, such as vancomycin, rifampin and linezolid, sometimes in combination. MRSA infections occur most often in a hospital setting, but can also be acquired in the community, particularly among athletes and in dormitories. MRSA can cause the same types of infections as non-MRSA and has the same signs and symptoms.
Tags: also cause, cause infection, food poisoning, most common, staph infection, staphylococcus aureus
