What is Staphylococcus aureus or “staph”?
Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as “staph,” are bacteria many people carry on the skin or in the nose and have always been with us. Normal staph bacteria sometimes cause mild, easily controlled skin infections. Most of these infections are minor, appearing as pimples and boils, and are treated without antibiotics, typically being drained by a healthcare provider. If you have staph on your skin or in your nose but aren’t sick, you are said to be a carrier, but not infected. Those who are carriers of the staph bacteria are capable of transmitting it to others. In addition to skin infections, staph bacteria sometimes cause infections in the blood (sepsis), in the bones (osteomyelitis), and in the lungs (pneumonia). Most serious staph bacteria infections are successfully treated with an antibiotic related to penicillin. However, some staph bacteria have become resistant to a number of the commonly used antibiotics, including penicillin-related antibiotics such as methicilli
