The Bacterium Staphylococcus Essay

These reports of infection and colonization by strains of MRSA in children provide compelling evidence that MRSA strains have gained a foothold in the community and are emerging as important outpatient pathogens.1

Impetigo is due to a germ known as “Staphylococcus aureus” in hot climates it may be due to “Streptococcus pyogenes” or a mixture of the two. These germs pass from person to person, and can spread rapidly through families and school classes through skin-to-skin contact or, less often, by bedding, clothing and towels. However impetigo can even arrive out of the blue, with no clue of where it came from.

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, it can cause serious infections such as bloodstream infection, pneumonia or bone infections. Though it can cause infections it is part of the normal human flora it is mostly found on the skin or in nasal cavities. It is a facultative anaerobic gram positive cocci, it is usually in pairs or clusters. The bacterium is also catalase positive, oxidase

skin condition that staph is able to cause is cellulitis. It is more common in people who have a weakened immune system such as people who are immunocompromised, infants, and the elderly. Cellulitis is characterized by a red, warm patch on the skin paired with a fever. “The bacteria that cause cellulitis can spread rapidly, entering lymph nodes and your bloodstream. Recurrent episodes of cellulitis may cause chronic swelling of the affected limb” (Mayo, 2015). Cellulitis is spread extremely easily, and is a big issue within long term care facilities. The infection can be cured by antibiotics. However, there are cases reported stating that cellulitis is becoming resistant to some antibiotics. The doctor can order a culture to send to pathology.

If a streptococcal infection such as pharyngitis or scarlet fever is left untreated, there is a small (~3%) chance that within approximately 20 days, the patient will present with rheumatic fever. After the first bout of rheumatic fever, if the host acquires a second untreated S. Pyogenes infection, the chance of coming down with rheumatic fever jumps substantially to ~50%. Most often this secondary disease will strike people aged 6-15 years old, roughly 20 days after the streptococcal infection, with a 2-5% mortality rate. One of the major diagnostic symptoms of this disease is Erythema Marginatum, snake- or ring-like eruptions covering the trunk, upper arms, and legs. Other symptoms include fever, arthritis (elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles), swollen joints, pain in the abdomen, nodules

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a bacterium that is resistant to many available high- level beta-lactam antibiotics, which include penicillins, “antistaphylococcal” penicillins and cephalosporins. Staphyloccoci are the most important bacteria that cause disease in humans. MRSA is sometimes branded as a nosocomial infection as it usually plagues patients that are receiving treatment in a hospital. The skin is the most common site of infection, where MRSA can cause cellulitis, folliculitis, or boils in the skin, but can also commonly be found in the nose, underarm, groin, upper respiratory tract, intestine, vagina and rectal areas of the body. MRSA infections occur with there is a break in the skin that allows the Methicillin resistant

In the late 18th century a new disease appeared called Scarlet Fever. Scarlet fever is an infection caused by streptococcus. This caused a sore throat, fever, and a very red rough rash that started in the torso area and would soon spread over the entire body. Scarlet fever mainly targeted children from the age of four to the age of eight. But anyone can get Scarlet fever. It would almost look like the person infected had been badly sunburnt. The tongue and lymph nodes would also become very swollen after the person had caught Scarlet fever.

Furuncle. Furuncles are also called boils. These lesions are staphylococcal infections of sebaceous glands. A patient with a furuncle will present with pain, redness, and swelling at the affected site. In some cases, the site may ooze pus and the lesions can be various sizes. Furuncles are commonly seen in groin and axillae region and tend to be very tender to palpation. These lesions will usually build with pressure and lead to the furuncle to burst and the pus will then drain. Some boils may require a I&D and packing if they are large and infected. Furuncles are usually noted on patients that have a compromised immune system or a medical condition that slows down the healing process of wounds. Complications of a furuncle are sepsis and MRSA. Antibiotic therapy may need to be prescribed it an infection is noted.

When reflecting back to experiment 3, Aseptic Technique and Culturing Microbes, I realized the large amount of microorganisms that can be found in everyday life. Many different types are found with in the human body. Theses experiments focused on two types of bacteria. First was Staphylococcus epidermidis, found on the skin, and second was Lactobacillus acidophilus, found in the gastrointestinal tract. Both have similar needs for growth when it comes to temperature, however, different growth environments are used.

There were multiple conditions on the differential, but ultimately a skin biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSSS). SSSS is a syndrome of acute exfoliation of the skin typically following an erythematous cellulitis. The severity varies from a few blisters localized to the site of infection to a severe exfoliation affecting almost the entire body. SSSS is caused by epidermolytic toxins produced by certain strains (5%) of Staphylococci and is usually seen in neonates and young children. The toxins act at the zona granulosa of the epidermis causing cleavage of desmoglein 1 complex, which is an important protein in desmosomes that anchor keratinocytes to each other. This results in the formation of fragile, tense

aureus is due to several factors. It is coagulase positive which forms accesses and prevents phagocytosis. It produces several exotoxins that create different responses in the body such as exfoliative toxin which causes scalded skin syndrome and enterotoxin which causes Staphylococcal food poisoning. Exotoxins produced by S. aureus are also responsible for Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is associated with tampon use and wound packing. In general, S. aureus is resistant to penicillin and some strains are resistant to methicillin (MRSA). According to the Minnesota Department of Health, most skin infections caused by S. aureus are self-limiting and do not require antibiotic treatment, but in cases where immunity is suppressed or skin is broken due to surgery or injury, infections may require antibiotic treatment or abscess drainage to prevent more serious infection

Dermatitis herpetiformis symptoms include itching, stinging and a burning sensation. Papules and vesicles are commonly present. The small red bumps experienced in this type of dermatitis are usually about 1 cm in size, red in color and may be found symmetrically grouped or distributed on

There are two types of impetigo infection: bullous impetigo, large blisters and non-bullous impetigo, crusted. Both are usually caused by staph or strep. The infection appears as a fluid-filled blister that starts out clear and then cloudy. If popped, the skin underneath is red and raw and left untreated, can grow and spread to other areas of the body and form a yellowish crust (Durani, 2011).

2. Symptoms are a firm, red nodule that may bleed sometimes. A flat lesion with a scaly crust on your face, ears, neck, hands or arms

The release of two exotoxins from certain strains of S. aureus can lead to Staphylococcal scaled skin syndrome (SSSS), which is characterized by blistering skin. Invasion into the body can lead to more serious health problems including pneumonia (a frequent complication of influenza), mastitis, phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), meningitis, and urinary tract infections. If the bacterium is allowed to colonize even deeper tissues more serious conditions such as osteomyelitis and endocarditis may result. The most serious consequences of these deeper tissue infections occur when the bacterium invades the bloodstream leading to septic shock and possibly death.