Staphylococcus aureus (also known as golden staph) is a bacterium, frequently living on the skin or in the nose of a healthy person, that can cause illnesses ranging from minor skin infections (such as pimples, boils, and cellulitis) and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, endocarditis and septicemia.

Each year some 500,000 patients in American hospitals contract a staphylococcal infection. By changing its chemical makeup slightly to evade attack, S. aureus has become resistant to many commonly used antibiotics (see discussion about MRSA). In 1997, physicians were alarmed to encounter staph strains that resist even vancomycin, which used to work when all else failed. Problems with S. aureus in hospitals are not a recent occurance, as penicillin resistant forms have existed since the 1950's.

Staphylococcus aureus appears as a gram-positive coccus, in grape-like clusters when viewed through a microscope. More characteristic is its appearance when grown out on agar plates. It appears as large, round golden-yellow (which is where the name aureus comes from) colonies, with beta-haemolysis of blood agar.

Staph infections can be spread through contact with pus from an infected wound, skin to skin contact with an infected person, and contact with objects such as towels, sheets, clothing, or athletic equipment used by an infected person.

In the hospital laboratory, Staphylococcus aureus is differentiated from most other staphylococci by the coagulase test. Staphylococcus aureus is coagulase-positive.

External links

• Staphylococcus (http://textbookofbacteriology.net/staph.html) - Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology

Please note that Golden Staph is known as a 'Superbug' due to its high immunity and resistance against standard antibiotic treaments.

Staphylocccus Aureus (SA) or Golden Staph is developing resistance even to more extreme antibitotics such as Vancomycin (see notes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancomycin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA )

S.A. has shown that hospitals can act as vector sources of infection even for minor in-patient stays. S.A has been reported to be present even in 'drips and needles' or intravenous catheters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA S.A. has been reported to have caused about 80,000 deaths annually in USA according to an RMIT report (http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse/Our%20Organisation%2FFaculties%2FLife%20Sciences%2FNews%2Fby%20title%2FG/).

There are some anecdotal cases where phenols have proven successful in the treament of SA related infections Phenols such as carvacrol, thymol, resol and xylenol have shown to have a highly anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal abilities given the phenols highly oxidative characteristics, they disrupt cell membranes and denature proteins present in the cell of the micro-organisms.

Phenolic compounds such as carvacrol and thymol are present in Oregano (oil form), Garlic and Onions, giving the characteristically pungent odour and healing properties to these plants

Facts on Phenols http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenolic_compounds Carvacrol anti-bacterial effect http://pubwww.srce.hr/ftbrfd/39-341.pdf

Microbiology Hnadhouts - MICI 1100 Revised 2004 subtitle header Disinfectant agents HEALTH SCIENCES http://microbiology.medicine.dal.ca/education/MICI_1100/handout1.doc

"The Cure is in the Cupboard", Cass Ingram, D.O, on herbs with natural medicinal and anti-bacterial properties http://www.911healthshop.com/physstrenwil1.html

Picture references MBB and Krebs Institute Golden Staph colony photograph http://www.shef.ac.uk/mbb/academic/molmicro/staph110.html

Golden Staph in the news with pictures- Golden Staph recombines and shares its DNA to develop new antibiotic resistance http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Info/Press/2004/040624.shtml