What Are the Causes of Staphylococcus Aureus?
Most people have no idea that some surfaces of the human body (skin and mucous membranes) are covered with various microorganisms called normal flora, most of which are bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus. Normal flora are not harmful and some species can even prevent other organisms from causing infections in the area.
Staph aureus is one of at least 1,000 species of bacteria that live on the skin and do not cause an infection. However, like all normal flora, if staph enters the bloodstream, it can cause a life-threatening illness.
Definition
Staph aureus is one of a group of bacteria that can cause a number of diseases when they infect various tissues of the body like the skin, nasal passages or genitals. Staph can cause a range of illnesses from mild skin infections, such as boils, pimples, impetigo and cellulitis, to more serious illnesses, such as food poisoning, bacteremia (blood poisoning), toxic shock syndrome or pneumonia.
Direct Contact
A staph infection can be spread by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or contact with a contaminated object, such as a telephone, a glass, a tabletop or a child's toy. Staph also spreads when people share personal items like bed linens, towels or clothes.
High Absorbency Tampons
Women who use super absorbent tampons, contraceptive sponges or diaphragms can develop a staph infection that leads to toxic shock syndrome, an illness that features a sudden high fever and a rash resembling a sunburn on the palms or soles. A tampon left in for a long period of time provides an excellent breeding ground for staph to multiply.
Improper Food Preparation, Handling and Storage
Uncooked food contains bacteria that may or may not be harmful. Staph can be caused by cross-contamination of cooked food with raw food by cooking utensils, cutting boards or fingers that have touched the contaminated food.
Several other conditions are associated with Staph aureus food poisoning, including inadequate refrigeration, inadequate cooking temperature, poor personal hygiene (improper washing of hands and/or equipment) and food allowed to cool too long at room temperature. Staph grows quickly in food held at room temperature and produces a toxin that is very resistant to heat, refrigeration and freezing.
Unnecessary Antibiotic Use
Widespread overuse of antibiotics for conditions not caused by bacteria has introduced a variety of superbugs that are resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. Superbugs like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) appear when an antibiotic fails to kill its bacterial target, and the bacteria learn how that drug works and survive its execution. MRSA and other superbugs are the result of decades of this process.
MRSA infections used to be exclusive to hospitals and other health-care settings, however, outbreaks are now appearing in the larger community among young, healthy people.
Some strains of staph are now showing resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin, once highly effective in treating staph and other infections.
Prevention/Solution
Drug resistance is becoming more common and the results can be severe. Thousands of people in the United States die each year from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. It is now a significant global problem. You can help by using antibiotics responsibly in the following ways:
Do not pressure your doctor for antibiotics--they can be very effective but cannot treat all types of infections, e.g., colds, flu or bronchitis.
Take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Follow your doctor's instructions and do not stop treatment early, even if you are feeling better.
Do not take antibiotics that are not prescribed for you. The antibiotic may not be appropriate for your infection.
Practice good hygiene to prevent infections. Wash your hands thoroughly (for at least 15 to 20 seconds) with plain soap and water after using the bathroom, preparing raw meat or poultry and when coming in close contact with a sick person.
Tags: bacteria that, contact with, Staph aureus, Causes Staphylococcus, Causes Staphylococcus Aureus, food poisoning
