A staph infection is caused by the staphylococcus bacteria, which is a type commonly present on the skin and inside the noses of most people. In small amounts, this bacterium usually causes no problems in healthy individuals. However, if the bacteria are able to invade other parts of your body, such as your bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs, or heart, the result is a potentially life-threatening staph infection. There are approximately 20,000 deaths as a result of staph infections in the United States each year.
Staph Infection Symptoms
Depending on the location and severity of the infection, the symptoms of staph infection will vary greatly. The most common type of staph infection is a skin infection, which can take several different forms. These symptoms include:
- Boils: This is pocket of pus that develops in a hair follicle or oil gland, and it is the most common type of staph infection. Boils will often occur under the arms and around the groin or buttocks. The skin around the infected area will usually become very red and swollen and the boil may break open, causing pus to drain out.
- Cellulitis: This is an infection that occurs in the deeper layers of the skin and causes redness and swelling on the surface of your skin. Cellulitis usually occurs in the lower legs and feet and may result in sores or ulcers that ooze discharge.
- Impetigo: Staph bacteria can sometimes cause a very painful, contagious rash that creates large fluid-filled blisters with a yellow crust.
- Scalded skin syndrome: This is condition that mostly affects newborns or young children and appears as a rash with blisters and a fever. When the blisters break, the top layer of skin comes off—this results in a raw, red surface that looks like a burn.
Staph can also take the form of food poisoning, blood poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, and septic arthritis.
Staph Infection Causes
It is common for people to carry around staph bacteria and never develop a staph infection. However, an infection from this bacteria could develop at any time and be transmitted from person to person. Staph is very contagious because it can survive extreme temperatures, drying, high levels of salt, and live on inanimate objects, such as pillowcases and towels. All of this makes it very easy to transfer the bacteria to another person.
Staph Infection Treatments
Treatment for a staph infection will vary depending on the type and severity of the infection. Antibiotics are almost always used to treat staph, but tests will be needed to determine which type of antibiotic will work the best on your specific strain of staph. For some skin infections, your doctor may also need to make an incision in the sore and drain the fluid and pus that has collected there. If the infection involves a device or prosthetic, it will need to be removed immediately.
Some strains of staph have developed a resistance to one or more antibiotics. This is most often described as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, which have to be treated with alternative antibiotics such as vancomycin.
