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What Causes Staph Infections?

Staph infections are caused by any one of the bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus. Staphylococci are perfectly round and grow in clusters. They live primarily on human skin and in the nose. Staphylococci do not usually cause serious illness unless you are already ill or have a weakened immune system. Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are the two most common causes of staph infections in humans.

  1. Staphylococcus Aureus

    • Staphylococcus aureus lives mostly in the nose, but it can also be found most anywhere else on and in the body. It can cause boils, styes, pneumonia, infection of the mammary gland and breast, infection of the veins, meningitis, urinary tract infections, infection of the bones and bone marrow, infection of the lining of the heart and heart valves, food poisoning, and toxic shock syndrome.

    Staphylococcus Epidermidis

    • Staphylococcus epidermidis usually lives on human skin. When Staphylococcus epidermidis does cause illness, it is frequently in a hospital setting. It can cause infection on biomaterials such as catheters, prosthetic valves, cerebrospinal fluid shunts, joint prosthesis, vacular prosthesis, postoperative wounds and venous catheters.

    Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

    • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that is considered a superbug, a bacteria that is resistant to treatment with most or all antibiotics currently available. A drug called vancomycin can be used to successfully treat MRSA infections. MRSA used to only be found in hospitals, but today it is being found outside hospitals more and more frequently.

    Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (VRSA)

    • A result of treating MRSA with vancomycin is the emergence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to treatment with vancomycin. If you have VRSA, your doctor will run tests against your infection to determine which Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment your infection is likely to respond to. Medications that can be effective against VSRA include Clindamycin, daptomycin, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin, rifampin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

    Prevention

    • You can lower your risk of developing a staph infection by washing your hands thoroughly for 15 to 30 seconds (especially after using the bathroom or visiting someone in the hospital); keep abrasions, cuts and sores clean and covered with clean, dry bandages until they are healed; change tampons frequently (every four to eight hours) and avoid sharing personal items like sheets, towels, clothing, razors and athletic equipment. When you have an abrasion, cut or sore, wash your towels and sheets using hot water, detergent and bleach and dry them in the dryer on high heat.

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