Common Infections

Commonly infected by Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccal bacterium. It is frequently found as part of the normal skin flora on the skin and nasal passages. It is estimated that 20% of the human population are long-term carriers of S. aureus. S. aureus is the most common species of...

(also known as "golden staph") which may contribute to dermatitic skin lesions in patients with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, non-contagious and pruritic skin disorder...

 . The anterior nares can act as a colonizing point from which the infection can spread to other areas (and they should probably be checked in the case of a recurring staph infection). This can be particularly troublesome if the strain is an antibiotic resistant (commonly MRSA or ORSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It is also called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...

) strain. MRSA (first discovered in the UK in 1961) has become particularly widespread in hospitals and is commonly considered a superbug. For more information on symptoms and treatment see MRSA.