How do people get staph infection?
They usually only cause an infection if they get into the skin – for example, through a bite or cut. Staph bacteria can spread to others through: close skin contact. sharing things like towels or toothbrushes.
Is staph infection deadly?
Overview. Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a germ found on people’s skin. Staph can cause serious infections if it gets into the blood and can lead to sepsis or death.
What is the disease staph?
Staphylococcus aureus is the most pathogenic; it typically causes skin infections and sometimes pneumonia, endocarditis, and osteomyelitis. It commonly leads to abscess formation. Some strains elaborate toxins that cause gastroenteritis, scalded skin syndrome, and toxic shock syndrome.
Why does my staph infection keep coming back?
What may appear to be recurrent staph infections may in fact be due to failure to eradicate the original staph infection. Recurrent staph infections can also be due to seeding of staph from the bloodstream, a condition known as staph sepsis or staph bacteremia. And then there is what is called Job syndrome.
How dangerous is staph infection?
Most of the time, these bacteria cause no problems or result in relatively minor skin infections. But staph infections can turn deadly if the bacteria invade deeper into your body, entering your bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs or heart.
How do your know if you have a staph infection?
Look for pimples, boils, or areas of red, swollen skin. Skin infections are the most common type of staph infection. They look like pimples, boils, blisters, or areas of swollen, red skin that feels hot. Sometimes, they ooze pus or other discharge.
How does one identify staph infection?
The most common type of staph infection is the boil , a pocket of pus that develops in a hair follicle or oil gland. The skin over the infected area usually becomes red and swollen. If a boil breaks open, it will probably drain pus.
What happens if you don’t treat a staph infection?
If you don’t take all of your medicine, some of the staph bacteria may survive, requiring re-treatment. Inadequate treatment also increases the development of antibiotic resistance in the surviving staph population. If you still have staph you can infect someone else.