Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic yet versatile pathogen that can infect almost all types of tissue in the human body. 33-50% of healthy individuals were reported to be S. aureus carriers. The diseases resulting from S. aureus infection range from superficial infections; invasive infections such as endocarditis to the life threatening septic shock and toxic shock.
Staphylococcus aureus is faculatively anaerobic, catalase-positive, coagulase-positive, gram-positive cocci. It is non sporulating, non motile and non capsulated bacteria. 30% of Staphylococcus aureus can be found in skin, mucous of membrane and nasal passages in a healthy person as normal flora.
Staphylococcus aureus infections are usually treated with antibiotics, but Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to the antibiotic methicillin and other drugs in the same class, including penicillin, amoxicillin, and oxacillin.
Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen of increas-ing importance due to the rise in antibiotic resistance (Lowy, 1998). It is distinct from the CoNS (e.g.S. epidermidis), and more virulent despite their phylogenic similarities (W aldvogel, 1990; Projan and Novick, 1997). The species named aureus, refers to the fact that.
