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Staphylococcus https://www.sciencewithsusanna.com/staphylococcus

Terms in this set (30)

Staphylococcus means
"clusters" of "spheres"
Gram reaction of Staphylococcus
Gram positive
Staphylococcus aureus is sometimes called this nickname:
"golden Staph"
Common Diseases caused by Staph aureus
*pimples
*boils
*impetigo
*food-poisoning/diarrheal disease
*pneumonia
*osteomyelitis
*endocarditis
*Scalded Skin Syndrome

Less Common - Toxic Shock Syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis
impetigo
bacterial inflammatory skin disease characterized by vesicles, pustules, and crusted-over lesions
opportunistic pathogen
a microorganism that does not ordinarily cause a disease but can
*if the person is immunosuppressed
*the microbe is in a different location than normal
*other microbes are killed off by antibiotics
normal locations of Staph aureus on the body
nasal passages and respiratory membranes
skin

*some of us carry this as part of our normal flora; others don't
Main two species of Staphylococcus
S. aureus
S. epidermidis
Hospital-associated infections
*Develop in hospital due to exposure to opportunistic pathogens that have had competition cleared away by disinfectants and/or antibiotics
*Often caused by the "superbugs" - ordinary bacteria that have developed resistance to a wider variety of antibiotics.
MRSA
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - strain of Staph aureus that is able to resist a wide variety of antibiotics
Virulence Factor
characteristic or structure that contributes to the ability of a microbe to cause disease
Main virulence factors of S. aureus
A - Protein A binds to our antibodies and thereby inhibits WBCs from engulfing the bacteria
B - Beta-lactamase inactivates the antibiotic penicillin (and other similar ones)
C - Coagulase - activates fibrin to hide in blood clots
D - Leukocidins DESTROY white blood cells
E - Enterotoxin (which causes diarrhea, and in the blood is a superantigen!)
F - ExFOLIATIN (Skalded Skin Syndrome, sloughs skin)
G - Gee that's a lot and there's one more!
H - Hyaluronidase breaks down our connective tissue - spreads fast
Endocarditis
inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, often involving the valves
Osteomyelitis
inflammation of bone and bone marrow
Scalded Skin Syndrome (SSS)
Staph aureus infection caused by its exfoliative toxins
most common in infants and children
Pneumonia
inflammation of the lungs - has many different causes: bacteria, fungi, viruses
Vancomycin
antibiotic used to treat MRSA - cell wall inhibitor
Red Man Syndrome
rash on the upper body caused by an overly rapid IV infusion of vanocmycin. The antibiotic causes many of the mast cells to degranulate (release their histamine).
Protein A
virulence factor of S. Aureus that can bind OUR antibodies and disable them.
Beta - lactamase
Virulence factor of S.aureus: enzyme that deactivates some antibiotics
Coagulase
Virulence factor of S.aureus that allows it to convert fibrinogen to fibrin and make clots that it can hide inside of
Leukocidin (Destroys ...)
Virulence factor of S.aureus that damages our WBCs!
Enterotoxin
Virulence factor of S.aureus (and many other bacteria) that causes diarrhea and damages intestinal cells
ExFoliatin
Virulence factor of S.aureus that causes a sloughing of the epidermis - notable in Scalded Skin Syndrome
Hyaluronidase
Virulence factor of S.aureus that allows it to break down connective tissue; this helps the bacteria spread through the body
This particular trait of all Staphylcoccus allows it to survive nicely on our skin
salt-tolerance
In microbiology labs, one way students can S.aureus from S. epi is that S.aureus (but not S.epi) can digest this sugar.
MANNITOL (but both can tolerate salt)
Mannitol Salt Agar turns yellow after bacteria grows on it - you know that the bacteria can:
digest mannitol and tolerate a salty environment
Mannitol Salt Agar
yellow growth indicates sugar fermentation and salt tolerance
Humans cannot digest this sugar
mannitol
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