Staphylococcus aureus is the most dangerous and common type of infection that a person has to face throughout his life. There is not a single internal organ where the pathogen could not get. And the saddest thing is that the main habitat of Staphylococcus aureus are hospitals. And the more hygienic protective measures are applied, the stronger the infection becomes, since it develops tolerance to them over time. Therefore, it is worthwhile to find out whether Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous to others, what diseases it causes and what medications help fight it.
Pathogen Feature
Staphylococcus aureus - gram-positive bacteria of a round shape that live on the skin and mucous membranes of humans. When grown in a special environment, colonies of golden color are formed, which gave the name to this variety of pathogens.
Staphylococcus aureus can be found in every healthy person. Moreover, most of the bacteria (about 70-90%) are present in the respiratory tract, oral cavity and hearing organs. To a lesser extent, the microorganism is located in the intestine, on the skin and genitals. But in the absence of favorable conditions for reproduction, Staphylococcus aureus coexists peacefully with humans, without causing the development of dangerous diseases. That is why this microorganism belongs to opportunistic microflora.
But with the combination of all conditions for reproduction, the sleeping pathogen comes into action, which threatens serious health complications. Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous for others in that it is the main cause of purulent processes and bacterial inflammation, as it produces toxins that inhibit the normal functioning of the body's cells.
This can be expressed by minor skin rashes, and can contribute to the development of deadly sepsis. According to statistics, this pathogen provokes the development of more than a hundred different diseases. According to these data, one can judge whether Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous to others or not.
Its main feature is that it constantly mutates and learns not to respond to the action of antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus resistance to the penicillin drug group reaches 90%.
In addition, the microorganism is not susceptible to high temperatures, exposure to direct sunlight, ethyl alcohol (100%), hydrogen peroxide.
What is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in adults and children?
In the process of its activity, the pathogen produces toxins that are dangerous to human health.
The main types of harmful substances produced by the pathogen:
- Membrane damaging substances. They bind to cell membrane receptors and form a channel through which harmful ions and molecules pass unhindered. As a result, this leads to swelling and subsequent rupture of the cell.
- Exfoliative components. They are the main causative agent of pemphigus in infants and scarlet fever-like rash.
- Exotoxins Contribute to the development of toxic shock syndrome, cause fever, lowering blood pressure, kidney dysfunction and reduce the concentration of white blood cells in the blood.
- True leukocidin. It has a destructive effect on white blood cells.
- Exotoxins They provoke the development of skin and respiratory allergies. This is expressed in various dermatitis and bronchial asthma.
- Squirrels. Their function is to suppress the processes of phagocytosis, which prevents the human body from entering an active fight against harmful microorganisms. Reducing the function of T- and B-lymphocytes, they thereby reduce the effectiveness of the protective reaction of the body, which negatively affects health.
What is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in the throat?
The appearance of Staphylococcus aureus in the throat is the main provoking factor in the development of tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis. In this case, various purulent ulcers and erosion are formed on the mucosa, which significantly complicates the treatment of pathology. With the advanced form of the disease, numerous purulent deposits and necrotic areas must be removed surgically.
The presence of bacteria in the throat is a threat to the whole organism, as with its progression the infection moves on and captures all adjacent organs and tissues, which greatly complicates the situation.
Therefore, knowing what is dangerous staphylococcus aureus in the throat, you should pay special attention to your health and timely treat diseases.
The main signs of a throat lesion:
- tickle;
- hoarseness of voice;
- pain when swallowing;
- sputum during coughing with impurities of pus;
- increased dry mouth;
- inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes.
What threatens the development of Staphylococcus aureus in the nose?
Sinuses are the most common habitat for Staphylococcus aureus. Often, it asymptomatically exists there for a long period, but when a provoking factor occurs in the form of hypothermia, SARS, uncontrolled use of vasoconstrictive drops, it actively multiplies and contributes to the development of acute rhinitis.
What is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in the nose? In the absence of adequate treatment, the pathogen spreads further and is capable of causing sinusitis, sinusitis, and frontal sinusitis.
Characteristic signs of a nose lesion:
- fast-growing runny nose;
- the discharge is initially transparent, and then become purulent;
- the voice becomes hoarse and nasal;
- the sense of smell disappears;
- labored breathing.
In the ear
When golden staphylococcus enters and the formation of a favorable environment for its reproduction, otitis media develops. This is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in the ear.
Typical symptoms of damage:
- stuffy ear;
- itching
- soreness in the external auditory canal;
- purulent ear discharge.
In the absence of adequate treatment, the infection spreads further and can lead to damage to the lining of the brain, bone tissue and cause partial or complete hearing loss.
In the intestines
Sharing of Staphylococcus aureus in the intestine provokes the development of inflammatory processes. What is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in the intestine? Active reproduction of microorganisms can trigger food poisoning, which will weaken the body's immune system.
As a result, the infection contributes to the development of gastroenteritis, the symptoms of which appear already in the first day of development.
Characteristic features:
- profuse vomiting;
- dizziness;
- fecal impurities;
- prolonged diarrhea;
- nausea;
- cramps of the abdominal muscles.
The form of development of the disease can vary from mild to extremely severe. This increases the risk of severe fluid loss by the body against the background of profuse vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, it is important to observe the water regime, since significant moisture loss can be deadly to humans.
In children
For children, a harmful microorganism is an increased danger, since the child’s immune system is not fully formed and does not have the ability to fully resist this agent. As a result of this, the pathogen is able to freely spread throughout the body, negatively affecting the growth and development of the baby.
What is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in children? With damage to the skin, the formation of diaper rash, boils, carbuncles, sweating, dermatitis is possible. But the most dangerous consequence of staphylococcal disease is toxic shock syndrome, which can lead to complete renal dysfunction of the child.
In pregnant
Pregnant women are also at risk, since during the period of bearing the fetus, their immune system partially loses its protective functions against the background of hormonal failure.
Is Staphylococcus aureus dangerous for a pregnant woman? The pathogen is able to freely cross the placental barrier, which leads to damage to the amniotic membranes and the fetus itself. In most cases, this results in a miscarriage.
If staphylococcus is found in the vagina of a pregnant woman, treatment is mandatory, even in the absence of signs of inflammation. This is necessary so that the child during the passage of the birth can not be infected.
The danger of pathology for the baby
Due to the wide spread of the microbe, a meeting with him can occur in the first days of a child’s life. Therefore, it is worthwhile to understand the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in infants in order to assess the degree of risk of infection.
Most often, the pathogen provokes the development of the following pathologies in the baby:
- Pemphigus. It is characterized by the formation of vesicles on the skin filled with pus. Affected areas cause pain, which negatively affects the well-being of the child.
- Ritter's disease, or scalded skin syndrome. It is characterized by extensive lesions on the body, which leads to the peeling of the upper layer of the epidermis.
Common symptoms
The characteristic signs of affection with Staphylococcus aureus differ depending on the type of disease that it causes. But there are general symptoms that help to recognize the pathological process at the initial stage of development:
- Local increase in body temperature. It is this symptom that allows you to accurately determine which organ was affected by Staphylococcus aureus. An increase in temperature in a separate area of the body is the body's response to the introduction of a pathogen in order to prevent its further spread.
- Hyperemia of infected areas. It is formed due to an active rush of blood to the site of inflammation. In this case, the vessels expand, and the outflow of venous blood is reduced. Thus, the body tries to increase the flow of oxygen to the problem area in order to neutralize the toxic effect of the bacteria.
- Violation of the functionality of individual tissues and organs due to their damage at the cellular level.
- Soreness when feeling. This symptom is due to compression of the nerve endings with adjacent edematous tissues. Pain can also be caused by excessive blood flow to the inflamed area.
- Swelling of the tissues. This symptom develops due to increased permeability of blood vessels.
Common symptoms of staphylococcus aureus may differ in adults and children. Therefore, only an experienced specialist can establish the diagnosis and cause of inflammation.
Infection pathways
Infection can penetrate the body when damage to the integrity of the mucous membrane and skin, as it is an integral part of the human microflora. Staphylococcus aureus can also be infected with poor-quality food and in close contact with the carrier of the bacteria.
Specialists identify several main ways of transmitting bacteria:
- Contact household. In this case, you can become infected by using someone else's towel or other personal items. Moreover, the infection can provoke a purulent process or invade the body, which will make a person its carrier.
- Airborne. A sick person with coughing, sneezing and just breathing releases the bacterium into the air, while it can get into the respiratory tract of a person nearby.
- The artifact way. The infection enters the body through inadequately crafted medical instruments. But it often happens that the necessary items were sanitized in the usual way, and the mutating appearance of Staphylococcus aureus managed to develop resistance to the action of drugs.
- Fecal-oral. Isolation of the infection occurs through vomit or with feces. At the same time, infection of a healthy person can occur if hygiene is not observed by a sick person who may have bacteria on his hands, and when shaking hands, the bacteria spread further.
- Dusty. Staphylococcus aureus is able to maintain its viability for a long time in the environment, and in particular in dust. Therefore, when these microparticles are inhaled, infection occurs.
Complications and consequences
To understand the level of danger, you need to understand what is dangerous for a person Staphylococcus aureus in the absence of timely and adequate treatment:
- Meningitis. In this case, a harmful pathogen provokes purulent inflammation of the lining of the brain. The pathological process is accompanied by fever, unbearable headache, nausea, cramps, and vomiting. A fatal outcome is possible even with timely started therapy. The mortality rate is 30% of all diagnosed cases.
- Blood poisoning. The pathological process develops as a result of infection in the bloodstream, followed by the active production of toxins. Staphylococcal sepsis is a deadly disease. At the same time, the patient's body temperature is fixed at about 40 degrees, profuse vomiting, nausea, as well as dysfunction of the lungs, liver, intestines, and brain. Initiated therapy without a preliminary antibioticogram is fatal for a person.
- Endocarditis. The disease is characterized by damage to the valves of the heart and the inner layer of the organ. Pathology is characterized by tachycardia, joint pain, decreased performance. Often, endocarditis is simultaneously combined with meningitis and heart failure, which greatly complicates the well-being of the patient.
- Toxic shock syndrome. This pathological process is a kind of shock reaction of the immune system to the introduction of a pathogen. In this case, the patient has a high body temperature, profuse vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure. All this combined threatens the possibility of death.
Based on the complications that can develop with the introduction of a pathogen into the body, we can understand the danger of Staphylococcus aureus in the nose, in the oral cavity or any other organ. After all, the infection is able to spread throughout the body as soon as possible without encountering any obstacles in its path.
Diagnostics
To identify staph infection in the body, certain types of studies are required. Moreover, a positive test result does not confirm the presence of the disease. The check is carried out only when characteristic pathological symptoms appear, which indicates a reaction of the body to the introduction of the pathogen.
The main types of research:
- smear from the throat, nose in case of damage to the upper respiratory tract;
- fecal analysis for intestinal disorders;
- scraping from the skin with dermatological diseases;
- blood test to exclude or confirm infection;
- urinalysis with the development of cystitis.
Treatment
Therapy is prescribed by the attending physician only after an antibioticogram. This helps to identify the resistance of the pathogen to a specific type of drug. In this case, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the prescribed flow pattern and take the drugs not until the symptoms are eliminated, and not less than 5 days. Self-interrupting treatment is strictly prohibited.
The main types of drugs for the treatment of staphylococcal infection.
- Amoxicillin. It depresses the pathogen and prevents its further development. The drug blocks the synthesis of peptidoglycan. Reception is carried out three times a day, regardless of food, 1 g at a time.
- Vancomycin. It blocks the component that enters the cell membrane of the infection, which causes the death of the pathogen. The drug is administered intravenously every 6 or 12 hours at the discretion of the doctor.
- "Cefazolin". The medicine has a wide spectrum of action. Its main function is to block the production of components of the cell wall of the infection. It is administered intramuscularly or intravenously every 3 hours.
- "Oxacillin." Effective in the late stages of pathogen development. It is administered intramuscularly, intravenously, orally.
- Clarithromycin. Prevents the production of proteins of harmful microorganisms. It is taken in the form of tablets, but with a severe form of the disease it is prescribed intravenously.
Knowing what the infection of Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous, it should be understood that any self-medication threatens serious health complications.
Prevention
Preventive measures are the main method of combating the uncontrolled spread of Staphylococcus aureus. Compliance with simple rules will help to avoid serious health problems.
Key recommendations:
- Timely elimination of inflammatory processes in the body.
- Compliance with cleanliness in the apartment, in the workplace.
- Regular washing and ironing.
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- Balanced diet.
- Rejection of bad habits.
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