Staph infections

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors

When to seek medical advice Tests and diagnosis Treatments and drugs Prevention

Definition

Like many healthy people, you probably have some Staphylococcus aureus bacteria — usually simply called staph — on your skin or in your nose or throat. Most of the time, the bacteria cause no problems or relatively minor skin infections. But staph infections can turn deadly if the bacteria burrow deeper into your body, invading your bloodstream, urinary tract, lungs and heart.

In the past, most lethal staph infections occurred in people who were hospitalized or had a chronic illness or weakened immune system. Now, a growing number of otherwise healthy people, many of whom have never been in a hospital, also are developing life-threatening staph infections.

A greater problem is that many staph infections no longer respond to common antibiotics. Though most staph infections can still be successfully treated, it may only be a matter of time before the bacteria become resistant to all currently available medications.

NEXT:

Symptoms