Staphylococcus aureus is a disease causing bacterium, found on the surface of skin, nose or eyes of people infected by it. Staphylococcus diseases range from minor staph skin infections like, pimples, boils or cellulitis to fatal illnesses like pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis and septicemia.

Diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus

The Staphylococcus diseases are usually in the form of skin or nasal staph infections but the staphylococcus bacteria can infect other tissues as well when skin or mucosal lining breaks down. This leads to furuncles and carbuncles filled with pus and pose a danger of spreading throughout the body or entering the blood stream. Diseases caused by Staphylococcus can spread through direct contact with pus oozing out from an infected, uncovered wound. It can spread from an infected person to a healthy person through skin to skin contact. Staphylococcus diseases also spread on coming in contact with objects like towels, linen, clothing or athletic equipments of an infected person. Staphylococcus diseases which penetrate deep in the body can infect artificial or prosthetic organs. Staph infection poses a danger to prosthetic joints and can cause endocarditis which is the infection of heart valves.

Symptoms

• Staph infections generally cause severe pain and swelling around the area of an uncovered cut or wound in the skin.
• Furuncles (boils) and carbuncles are commonly observed in the infected area.
• Staph Infection in Children and inn infants leads to peeling of skin and blisters in various parts of the body.
• Swelling may be observed in lymph nodes of the neck, armpits or groin.

MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus): The bacteria which causes staph infection, S.aureus has now been found to become resistant to many antibiotics which consisted of penicillin, flucloxacillin, oxacillin and similar lactamase resistant antibiotics. Vancomycin resistant staph was also discovered later on but cases of VRSA (Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)

infection are very rare. The regular ‘staph’ infections are mostly easy to treat with cephalosporin antibiotics that are associated with penicillin, like Keflex, Duricef, and Ancef, but unfortunately the MRSA bacteria has become resistant to these antibiotics, and hence cannot be used to treat infection caused by them. Other oral antibiotics which are used for treatment of MRSA infections are Bactrim (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) Clindamycin and Vancomycin.

Prevention of diseases caused by Staphylococcus:

Taking proper precautions is necessary to avoid Staphylococcus diseases. Close contact with infected people must be avoided cautiously. Indirect contact through infected objects contaminated by the staph bacteria from the skin of a person suffering from staph disease may also lead to spread of Staphylococcus diseases. Some preventive measures which you need to take to keep yourself safe from staph infection are:

• Thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water and never let them remain dirty for long. If you are an athlete or are involved in sports activities then make sure that you take shower and wash yourself with dermatologists’ recommended soaps after all practices.
• Any cut, abrasion or wound should not be left uncovered. It should be cleaned, bandaged and covered with a proper dressing until it is healed completely.

Avoid any contact with wound of other people or any object infected from wounds. Never use someone’s towel, clothing or sport equipment if you are unsure of the person’s state of health. Staphylococcus diseases can be prevented by taking care of these small points in our day to day lives.

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