![]() Secondary skin infection of wounds, dermatitis, scabies, diabetic ulcers etc.Cellulitis (more often due to streptococcus).Hair follicle infections including staphylococcal folliculitis, boils (furuncles and carbuncles), abscess and sycosis (beard infection).Staphylococcal skin infection can present in a variety of ways: Release toxins (intoxication) – these do not require the presence of live bacteria to have an effect. ![]() Survive within host infection-fighting cells.Kill infection-fighting cells ( phagocytes).Hide their antigens to avoid an immune response.Once they have invaded they have various ways to avoid host defences. They are only able to invade via broken skin or mucous membranes, hence intact skin is an excellent human defence. They are usually facultative anaerobes, that is, they are capable of surviving at various levels of oxygenation, and are generally very hardy organisms. They may occur singly or grouped in pairs, short chains or grape-like clusters. S aureus bacteria are classified as Gram-positive cocci based on their appearance under a microscope. Job and Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes (associations of severe staphylococcal infection with eczema, raised immunoglobulin E, and abnormal white cell function).Medication with systemic steroids, retinoids, cytotoxics or immunosuppressives.Presence of foreign body eg, prosthetic joint, pacemaker, indwelling catheter, haemodialysis, recent surgical procedure.Blood disorders such as leukaemia and lymphoma.Kidney failure, especially those on dialysis.Most staphylococcal infections occur in normal individuals, but underlying illness and certain skin diseases increase the risk of infection. But they may occur for no obvious reason in otherwise healthy individuals. Staph skin infections are seen most commonly in pre-pubertal children and certain occupational groups such as healthcare workers. S aureus infection is common in people with frequent skin injury, particularly if the skin is dry. What causes staphylococcal infection?ĭespite being harmless in most individuals, S aureus is capable of causing various infections of the skin and other organs. ![]() The carrier sites are usually the nostrils and flexures, where the bacteria may be found intermittently or every time they are looked for. Other staphylococci, including S epidermidis, are considered commensals, or normal inhabitants of the skin surface.Ībout 15–40 per cent of healthy humans are carriers of S aureus, that is, they have the bacteria on their skin without any active infection or disease (colonisation). ![]() Staphylococcus aureus ( S aureus) is the most important of these bacteria in human diseases. Staphylococci (‘staph’) are a common type of bacteria that live on the skin and mucous membranes (for example, in the nostrils) of humans. A staphylococcal infection is a common bacterial skin infection. ![]()
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