Staphylococcal infection
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Staphylococcal infection | |
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| Classification and external resources | |
 SEM micrograph of S. aureus colonies; note the grape-like clustering common to Staphylococcus species. |
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| MeSH | D013203 |
Staphylococcus can cause a wide variety of infections in humans and other animals through either toxin production or invasion.
Staphylococcal toxins are a common cause of food poisoning, as it can grow in improperly-stored food.
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[edit] Coagulase-positive
The main coagulase-positive Staphylococcus is Staphylococcus aureus.
These bacteria can survive on dry surfaces, increasing the chance of transmission. S. aureus is also implicated in toxic shock syndrome; during the 1980s some tampons allowed the rapid growth of S. aureus, which released toxins that were absorbed into the bloodstream. Any S. aureus infection can cause the staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, a cutaneous reaction to exotoxin absorbed into the bloodstream. It can also cause a type of septicaemia called pyaemia. The infection can be life-threatening. Problematically, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a major cause of hospital-acquired infections, and is being recognized with increasing frequency in community-acquired infections.
| Main Staphylococcus aureus infections | |
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| Type | Examples |
| Localized skin infections |
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Diffuse skin infection |
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Deep, localized infections |
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Other infections |
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| Unless else specified in boxes, then reference is [1] | |
Other infections include:
- Closed-space infections of the fingertips, known as paronychia.
[edit] Coagulase-negative
- S. epidermidis, a coagulase-negative staphylococcus species, is a commensal of the skin, but can cause severe infections in immune-suppressed patients and those with central venous catheters.
- S. saprophyticus, another coagulase-negative species that is part of the normal vaginal flora, is predominantly implicated in genitourinary tract infections in sexually-active young women.
- In recent years, several other Staphylococcus species have been implicated in human infections, notably S. lugdunensis, S. schleiferi, and S. caprae.
[edit] References
- ^ Page 349 in: Fisher, Bruce; Harvey, Richard P.; Champe, Pamela C.. Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Microbiology (Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews Series). Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 0-7817-8215-5.
[edit] External links
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