Bacteria belonging to the staphylococcus family are motionless gram-positive cocci. In shape, they resemble regular balls with a diameter of 0.6 to 1.2 microns. They are located in clusters that resemble a bunch of grapes in shape.
Types of bacteria
Specialists distinguish several types of staphylococci. The most dangerous is
Staphylococcus aureus. These pathogenic staphylococci are able to secrete a special golden pigment. They can cause purulent inflammation in various organs and tissues of the body. These bacteria produce an enzyme called coagulase. Because of this, they are called kagulase-positive staphylococci. Separately, it distinguishes its special subspecies, which are called methicillin-resistant. It includes all strains of Staphylococcus aureus, which are resistant to a wide range of
antibacterial agents. They are quite difficult to treat.
On the mucous membranes, an epidermal species is often found. It can provoke the development of endocarditis, sepsis, conjunctivitis, purulent lesions of wounds and urinary tract.
Acute urethritis and cystitis are caused by saprophytic staphylococci. The hemolytic appearance of these bacteria causes the development of skin lesions, sepsis, endocarditis, cystitis, urethritis, and inflammatory diseases of various organs.
Conditionally pathogenic staphylococcus can also be on the skin and mucous membranes.
Imminent danger
In total, about 20 types of staphylococci are distinguished. But most of them are part of the normal microflora, they can be on the skin and
mucous membranes and not cause any diseases.
Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous. The pathogen is located on the nasopharynx, and it also occurs in the vagina in women. Sometimes it is found in the digestive tract. You can also find it on the skin - in the armpits or groin.
It should be understood that it is not the bacteria themselves that are dangerous, but the staphylococcal infections that they cause. If a person has normal immunity, then most microorganisms of this group will not affect him in any way. And in those who have it weakened, any pathogenic staphylococcus can lead to the development of infections. They appear as diseases with inflammatory-purulent foci, which are accompanied by intoxication.
Ways and causes of infections
Speaking about the possibility of infection with staphylococci, it is worth understanding that they are everywhere. There are various ways of infection:
- airborne;
- Alimentary (from infected bowel movements or vomiting);
- contact household;
- artifical (from insufficiently clean medical instruments);
- airborne.
You can get infected from household items, other people, or by eating contaminated products. Bacteria can also enter through damaged areas of the skin or mucous membranes.
Some people carry pathogenic staphylococci. They live on the skin and mucous membranes, but they do not cause any changes. The danger is people who are constant carriers of these bacteria. Although a person with normal immunity should not be afraid. Staphylococcal infections develop with a combination of a number of favorable circumstances, including weakened body defenses.
Possible diseases
Specialists can describe more than 100 different clinical manifestations of infection. After all, pathogenic staphylococci are able to affect any organs and tissues of the body. They cause purulent-inflammatory processes and can cause the appearance of tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pyoderma, osteomyelitis, arthritis, food poisoning, furunculosis, sepsis.
For example, almost 80% of septic arthritis that develops in adolescents and adults is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Also, these microorganisms can cause mastitis in women who give birth and sepsis of newborns.
A pathogenic staphylococcus analysis can be detected - bacterial inoculation with sensitivity to antibiotics. They allow you to find out exactly which bacterium caused the infection. The analysis also shows which bacterial drugs it is susceptible to.
Affection of the nose
Quite often, people develop rhinitis or sinusitis. The cause of their development may be pathogenic staphylococcus in the nose. It is quite often found on the mucous membrane of this organ. With weakening of local immunity, bacteria become the cause of acute rhinitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, sinusitis. Staphylococcus can trigger the appearance of an acute or chronic form of these diseases.
Often rhinitis begins with the appearance of transparent mucous discharge from the nose. If it is complicated by a bacterial infection, then purulent discharge appears . They can be distinguished by yellow-green color. Also, the disease is characterized by nasal congestion and a change in voice (nasal appearance appears).
If the cause of the disease is pathogenic staphylococcus in the nose, then it can be accompanied by painful sensations. With frontal sinusitis, they are not necessarily localized in the frontal sinuses, but may manifest as a common headache. With unilateral inflammation, pain is observed on one side.
Problems with the pharynx, lungs, bronchi
Staphylococcus aureus often causes chronic pharyngitis. Conditionally pathogenic microorganism can cause the disease only in people with weakened immunity. If Staphylococcus aureus is activated, then the patient will have pronounced symptoms. An accumulation of viscous mucus will be visualized on the back wall upon examination, all sections of the pharynx will be reddened. A sore throat appears - this indicates that the mucous membrane is affected by bacteria. Often pharyngitis is accompanied by
hoarseness.If pathogenic staphylococci attack the larynx, then this can cause laryngitis. The disease is accompanied by pain when swallowing, damage to the vocal cords, dry cough.
Also, these bacteria can cause bronchitis or pneumonia. In most cases, the disease causes the virus. But against the background of violations, staphylococci easily penetrate the mucous membrane of the bronchi or lung tissue. Bacterial pneumonia may be indicated by the release of mucopurulent sputum during coughing, chest pain.
Other diseases
Staphylococcus aureus can cause other problems. So, when eating foods infected with this bacterium, after 30 minutes, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and watery diarrhea may appear. In this case, pathogenic staphylococcus in the feces will be detected.
Purulent skin lesions resulting from the action of this microorganism are called pyoderma. This is one of the most common skin lesions.
Not protected from the effects of staphylococcus and newborns. In medicine, there is such a thing as “scalded infant syndrome”. Some strains of pathogenic staphylococci secrete toxins, and because of their effect on the skin of babies, large foci of redness appear. In their place then bubbles appear that look like blisters after burns.
Essential therapy
Having discovered a staph infection, it is important to correctly approach its treatment. It should be based on antibiotic therapy. In a number of severe cases, even the use of special anti-staphylococcal immunoglobulin is indicated.
At the same time, you should not think that the disease will pass by itself. If pathogenic staphylococcus in the nose has been detected, treatment is selected according to the antibiogram made. If you start therapy without knowing which drugs the bacteria are sensitive to, you can only achieve that the microorganisms become more stable, and the person’s immunity only weakens.
So, therapy can be carried out with the help of antibiotics such as Clindamycin, Erythromycin, Clarithromycin, Cefotaxime, Amoxicillin, Cloxacillin, Cefazolin, Vancomycin.