Staphylococcal+Infections

=__ **Staphylococcus Infections** __ = Editors: Trenton Chard and Eric Roberts

__** Name **__ //Staphylococcus// bacteria. There are 30 types but most common is //Staphylococcus aureus// (commonly called: Staph infection) which causes most infections.

__** Organism Details **__

It is a bacteria cell and the cells clump together in the victims wound, and they are about 0.6 micrometers in diameter. They are spherical in shape (cocci).

** __Effects and Symptoms__ **

The effects can be skin infections, pneumonia, food poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, cellulitis (causing inflamation, pain, swelling, warmth, and redness on undlying tissues anywhere on the body where there is a cut or scratch), blood poisoning (bacterium), folliculitis (infection of hair follicles), boils, impetigo (large blisters containing fluid that is clear then cloudy), scalded skin syndrome (affects kids under 5 and child has fever, rash, and sometimes blisters).

** __Treatment__ **

Usually it can be treated with antibiotics, but some like MSRA, (methicillin-resistant //Staphylococcus aureus//), are resistant to some antibiotics, making them harder to treat. Treated by washing the skin with antibacterial cleanser. ** __Transmission__ ** Many healthy people carry the bacteria //Staphylococcol aureus// on their skin and in their noses without getting sick. The bacteria can live on other surfaxces as well. Once the skin is punctured or broken, staph bacteria can enter the wound and cause infections. You can tranfer it by touching a surface. __** Prevention **__ By washing your hands and wounds, and keeping them clean and covered.

__** Pictures **__

Staph infection filled with puss



Cells of a staph infection that clump together.

Biography:

[] [|www.medicinenet.com/staph_infection/article.htm]# []#