What types of diseases are caused by Staph?

What types of diseases are caused by Staph?

Skin infections are the most common type of disease produced by Staphylococcus. Staph infections of the skin can progress to impetigo (a crusting of the skin) or cellulitis (inflammation of the deeper layers of skin and connective tissue under the skin, leading to swelling and redness of the area). In some situations, a serious complication known as scalded skin syndrome  can develop. In breastfeeding women, Staph can result in mastitis (inflammation of the breast) or abscess of the breast. Staphylococcal breast abscesses can release bacteria into the mother's milk.

When the bacteria enter the bloodstream and spread to other organs, a number of serious infections can occur. Spread of the organisms to the bloodstream is known as bacteremia  or sepsis. Staphylococcal pneumonia predominantly affects people with underlying lung disease and can lead to abscess formation within the lungs. Infection of the heart valves (endocarditis) can lead to heart failure. Spread of Staphylococci to the bones can result in severe inflammation of the bones known as osteomyelitis. When Staph bacteria are present in the blood, a condition known as staphylococcal sepsis or staphylococcal bacteremia occurs. Staphylococcal sepsis is a leading cause of shock and circulatory collapse, leading to death, in people with severe burns over large areas of the body. When untreated, Staph aureus sepsis carries a mortality (death) rate of over 80%. Although not common, Staph aureus has been reported as a cause of chorioamnionitis and neonatal sepsis in pregnancy, but group B streptococci are the most common bacterial cause of this life-threatening condition for the fetus.

Staphylococcal infections are contagious and can be transmitted from person to person. Since pus from infected wounds may contain the bacteria, proper hygiene and hand washing is required when caring for Staph-infected wounds.

Staphylococcal food poisoning is an illness of the bowels that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. It is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus rather than a true infection with the bacteria. Symptoms usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts for one to three days and resolves on its own. Patients with this illness are not contagious since toxins are not transmitted from one person to another.

Toxic shock syndrome is an illness caused by toxins secreted by Staph aureus bacteria growing under conditions in which there is little or no oxygen. Toxic shock syndrome is characterized by the sudden onset of high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle aches, followed by low blood pressure (hypotension), which can lead to shock and death. There may be a rash resembling sunburn, with peeling of skin. Toxic shock syndrome was originally described and still occurs especially in menstruating women using tampons.

What are the symptoms and signs of a Staph infection?

What are the symptoms and signs of a Staph infection?

Staphylococcal disease of the skin usually results in a localized collection of pus, known as an abscess, boil, or furuncle, depending upon the exact type of lesion that is present. The affected area may be red, swollen, and painful. Drainage or pus is common.

When Staph is in the blood (bacteremia or sepsis), it can cause high fevers, chills, and low blood pressure.  Deep abscesses, pneumonia, osteomylitis, and most other internal infections are only seen by X-ray and other imaging techniques or are not visible at all (for example, toxic shock, food poisoning).

How are Staph infections diagnosed?

In cases of minor skin infections, staphylococcal infections are commonly diagnosed by their appearance without the need for laboratory testing. More serious staphylococcal infections such as infection of the bloodstream, pneumonia, and endocarditis require culturing of samples of blood or infected body fluids. The laboratory establishes the diagnosis and performs special tests to determine which antibiotics are effective against the bacteria.

Diagnosis of staph infections begins with attempting to culture the bacteria from an infected site. Any area with pus, crusty drainage, or blisters should be cultured. Blood from patients with sepsis, toxic shock, or pneumonia should be cultured. Standard microbiological techniques (growth on Baird-Parker agar plates and a positive coagulase test) identify staph. S. aureus lyses red blood cells in blood agar plates (hemolytic staph) while S. epidermidis does not (non hemolytic staph).

All staph should be further tested to see if the bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic methicillin (and other  antibiotics) and thus determine if the organisms are MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This test is important as MRSA organisms are resistant to many antibiotics usually prescribed for staph infections.

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What types of diseases are caused by Staph?

What types of diseases are caused by Staph?

 

Skin infections are the most common type of disease produced by Staphylococcus. Staph infections of the skin can progress to impetigo (a crusting of the skin) or cellulitis (inflammation of the deeper layers of skin and connective tissue under the skin, leading to swelling and redness of the area). In some situations, a serious complication known as scalded skin syndrome  can develop. In breastfeeding women, Staph can result in mastitis (inflammation of the breast) or abscess of the breast. Staphylococcal breast abscesses can release bacteria into the mother's milk.

When the bacteria enter the bloodstream and spread to other organs, a number of serious infections can occur. Spread of the organisms to the bloodstream is known as bacteremia  or sepsis. Staphylococcal pneumonia predominantly affects people with underlying lung disease and can lead to abscess formation within the lungs. Infection of the heart valves (endocarditis) can lead to heart failure. Spread of Staphylococci to the bones can result in severe inflammation of the bones known as osteomyelitis. When Staph bacteria are present in the blood, a condition known as staphylococcal sepsis or staphylococcal bacteremia occurs. Staphylococcal sepsis is a leading cause of shock and circulatory collapse, leading to death, in people with severe burns over large areas of the body. When untreated, Staph aureus sepsis carries a mortality (death) rate of over 80%. Although not common, Staph aureus has been reported as a cause of chorioamnionitis and neonatal sepsis in pregnancy, but group B streptococci are the most common bacterial cause of this life-threatening condition for the fetus.

Staphylococcal infections are contagious and can be transmitted from person to person. Since pus from infected wounds may contain the bacteria, proper hygiene and hand washing is required when caring for Staph-infected wounds.

Staphylococcal food poisoning is an illness of the bowels that causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. It is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus rather than a true infection with the bacteria. Symptoms usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts for one to three days and resolves on its own. Patients with this illness are not contagious since toxins are not transmitted from one person to another.

Toxic shock syndrome is an illness caused by toxins secreted by Staph aureus bacteria growing under conditions in which there is little or no oxygen. Toxic shock syndrome is characterized by the sudden onset of high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle aches, followed by low blood pressure (hypotension), which can lead to shock and death. There may be a rash resembling sunburn, with peeling of skin. Toxic shock syndrome was originally described and still occurs especially in menstruating women using tampons.

What is Staphylococcus?

Staphylococcal infections

 

Infection caused by Staphylococcal organisms can lead to a variety of diseases, including pneumonia, abscesses, bone infections (osteomylitis), joint infection (arthritis), and a number of skin infection (impetigo, pimples and, boils). Staphylococcus aureus also causes toxin-related illnesses, including toxic shock syndrome, scaled skin syndrome, and staphylococcal related food poising. In fact Staphylococcal bacteria are the leading cause of food poisoning.

What is Staphylococcus?

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 familiarly 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 kokkos, meaning berry, and that is what Staph bacteria look like under the microscope, like a bunch of grapes or little round berries. (In technical terms, these are gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, usually unencapsulated cocci.)

Over 30 different types of Staphylococci can infect humans, but most infections are caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococci can be found normally in the nose and on the skin (and less commonly in other locations) of around 25%-30% of healthy adults and in 25% of hospital workers. 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.