Staphylococcus aureus is transmitted by airborne droplets. How is staphylococcus transmitted? Causes of infection. What to do if you have staphylococcus

Staphylococcus is a bacterium that can cause many infectious diseases in humans that vary in location, symptoms and severity.

Routes of transmission of staphylococcus

Hand washing is a way to protect against staphylococcus

The main routes of infection with staphylococcus, leading to the development of diseases, primarily of the respiratory system, are airborne dust and airborne droplets. Inhaling bacteria along with air, droplets of saliva of the human carrier and dust, they penetrate into the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth. As bacteria descend, they can cause bronchitis and pneumonia.

Together with dust, dirty hands or through contaminated dressing, the pathogen can get on a wound or burn surface - this is how they become infected with staphylococcus. Cracks in the nipples of a nursing woman, scratches and microtraumas on the skin, for example, the place where a hangnail is torn off, can also become entry points. All this leads to suppuration.

People infected with staphylococcus or who are its carriers pose a greater threat. They spread pathogenic microorganisms through household items, products, personal hygiene items, a handshake. Such people working as cooks, waiters, and medical workers pose a particular danger.

Intestinal infections occur when staphylococcus is transmitted through dirty hands. This route of infection is possible if personal hygiene is not observed after visiting public toilets, or when a person does not wash their hands before eating. Another option for the penetration of a microorganism into digestive tract is utensils processed not according to all rules in catering establishments, kindergartens, schools, hospitals. This can lead to real epidemics.

Another method of transmission of staphylococcus bacteria occurs in the absence of asepsis and antisepsis in dental and manipulation rooms and hospitals surgical profile and beauty salons. Staphylococcus is transmitted through contaminated equipment directly into the blood, which can lead not only to the formation of abscesses and cellulitis, but also to sepsis.

The infection enters the genitourinary system through untreated catheters, unprotected sexual intercourse (including as a result of oral sex, if one of the partners is sick with staphylococcal sore throat). Penetrating through the urethra along the ascending path, the pathogen can cause various inflammatory diseases, including prostatitis, cystitis, nephritis, orchitis, vaginitis, endometritis.

Staphylococcus is transmitted along with contaminated food products when preparation or storage technology is violated; most often, unboiled milk or raw eggs, obtained from sick animals.

The danger of staphylococcus infection during childbirth

Why and how is staphylococcal infection transmitted in the maternity hospital? The greatest danger is posed by staphylococcus, which a newborn becomes infected with in the maternity hospital. The pathogen can cause the development of dermatitis, damage to the bronchi and lungs, umbilical wound, eyes, cause severe intestinal dysbiosis and even sepsis in a child. For the mother, the bacterium is no less dangerous, as it can lead to mastitis and infection. birth canal and the genitourinary system as a whole.

The most dire consequences occur when Staphylococcus aureus is transmitted to the child from the environment, air and objects of the maternity hospital, which is often the cause of hospital infections that are not amenable to antibiotic therapy.

Let's list how you can become infected with staphylococcus in a maternity hospital:

1. from mother to baby, during childbirth, through the genitals, as well as during breastfeeding, in the presence of mastitis;
2. when visiting relatives who are carriers, during close contact between people;
3. from infected medical personnel;
4. in the presence of a pathogen in the air, on instruments, equipment, in food, including infant formula.

When and how can you get a staph infection? Not always when a microbe gets on mucous membranes, skin or Airways, one or another disease develops.

This requires the presence of a contributing factor, a decrease in the body’s protective reactions when there is no required level of immunity, as a result of:

• taking antibiotics;
• transferred viral diseases, including influenza, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections;
• having HIV or malignant neoplasms, especially against the background of radiotherapy and chemotherapy;
• after transferred operations, polytrauma, childbirth;
• imbalance of intestinal microflora;
• neonatal period.

Many people know firsthand what staphylococcus disease is, but they haven’t delved too deeply into the intricacies of it. unpleasant disease. We will help you learn more about staph, how it is transmitted and how dangerous it can be.

How to protect yourself from diseases? This is a pressing issue, because currently as many as 27 species (or strains) of this disease have been identified, and 14 of them are constantly present on the human mucosa and skin. Almost all types are not as dangerous as 3 of them - they can seriously harm human health.

Read more about Staphylococcus aureus

Dangerous types of insidious disease:

• Staphylococcus aureus is the most insidious and most severe type of disease, difficult to treat. The bacterium affects any organ, causes an inflammatory process, accompanied by an increase in temperature, causes purulent processes: boils, barley, etc., sepsis, pneumonia, affects everything vitally important organs. Does not die even with high temperature heat treatment, treatment with clean ethyl alcohol(not diluted) and even some antibiotics;
• epidermal - lives on the mucous membrane, if immunity is high, it does not manifest itself in any way. If it gets into the blood from an infected person to a sick person, heart damage is possible;
• saprophytic – causes inflammation in the kidneys and bladder in women, it causes frequent cystitis. Area of ​​localization: genital mucosa.

Staphylococcus is always present on the human body; it is an opportunistic microflora, but there are some types of bacteria that, when entering our body, can cause a number of diseases. If conditions for development are favorable, then bacteria cause inflammatory processes in weak points(digestive organs, heart, skin, etc.).

What is the danger? Microorganisms produce toxic substances and destroy human cells, causing the development dangerous diseases. A short list of these diseases: intoxication and even shock, purulent rashes on the skin, including sepsis, damage to the nervous system.

These bacteria are very resistant and resist antibiotics well. Therefore, it is very difficult to cure staphylococcus on your own; you need a competent approach.

How is Staphylococcus aureus transmitted?

Routes of entry into our body:

• through air and dust;
• air- by drip;
• through the mucous membrane (including sexually), as well as dirty hands, open wounds;
• through blood.

The microorganism is very tenacious, it is found everywhere, it can enter the human body through medical instruments, dressings, catheters, through clothing, food, personal hygiene items (toothbrushes, washcloths, towels, shoes, etc.).

This is the most tenacious and hardy bacterium that is transmitted:

• through instruments, medical instruments, during hemodialysis and other medical procedures. At risk are people with reduced immunity, after the postponed viral diseases, operations, injuries, long-term treatment antibiotics;
• food purchased both in markets and supermarkets. This bacterium loves dairy products, meat, eggs, fish, as well as baked goods, especially cakes with cream. Getting into the intestines with these products, staphylococcus can cause severe poisoning;
• through scratches and open wounds from a sick person to a healthy person. For example, when breastfeeding, if a woman has microcracks on her nipples. Because of this, it may develop purulent mastitis. And if the bacterium enters the body of a newborn, this can lead to severe dysbacteriosis, which manifests itself as follows: severe pain in the abdomen, rashes on the body, purulent rash and boils, if the bacteria settles in the lungs - pneumonia, and gets into the blood - the development of sepsis;
• coughing, sneezing, close contact (breathing), through any objects or clothing.

Staphylococcus aureus can be transmitted through the air, by contact, through household objects and tools. The danger of infection is that a person may not even be aware that he or she is a carrier of the bacteria.

Not everyone is well aware of how Staphylococcus aureus is transmitted. It is he who is rightfully considered the most hostile representative of the family. Staphylococcus is transmitted through the air through dust and airborne droplets. Infection occurs through mucous membranes, skin covering, unwashed hands. People can become infected through wounds, burns and other injuries on the body.

There are cases of bacteria entering the body due to violations of personal hygiene requirements, as well as through instruments and accessories that have not been properly treated. There is no need to doubt whether staphylococcus is sexually transmitted - it is possible. Additionally, the infection can spread through food.

Infection with staphylococcus occurs because the pathogen overcomes the defenses of the macroorganism. Transmission of staphylococcal infection by contact involves infection through touch. The bacterium reacts little to the factors that influence it the world: it is resistant to temperature changes and some types of antiseptics.

Staphylococcus aureus often lives on human skin, but the danger of getting sick appears only with extensive wounds or against a background of weakened immunity. However, such a person can become infected with staphylococcus, since he is a carrier of the pathogen. At direct contact with it, as well as through household items, these pathogenic bacteria.

Artificial infection

Staphylococcus can be transmitted through unsterilized instruments. Most often, such infection occurs when using instrumental methods research. Sometimes carrier Staphylococcus aureus celebrated after surgical intervention. This situation is due to the high resistance of the bacterium to antiseptics used in surgery.

In addition, it is easy to encounter this microorganism in beauty salons when performing piercing and ear piercing procedures.

Aerogenic infection

When considering how staphylococcus can be transmitted, it is imperative to note airborne infection. Dangerous bacteria often able to live on the nasal mucosa for a long time. In most cases, the carrier of staphylococcus is completely healthy. The growth and reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms occurs with a decrease in immune forces. As a result, adults develop diseases such as rhinitis, sinusitis and others. Especially dangerous case Pneumonia caused by staphylococcal infection is considered.

Nutritional route

The source of Staphylococcus aureus can be food. Because the infection is resistant to heat and freezing, people often become infected through food of animal origin. When entering the stomach, the bacterium secretes toxic substances, causing severe poisoning, but if there is no damage to the mucous membrane, it quickly dies under the influence of hydrochloric acid.

When a person has wounds on the gastric mucosa, the worst thing happens, what is dangerous about Staphylococcus aureus: poisoning and the spread of infection, quickly leading to the death of a person, even if health care provided on time.

Infection of newborns from mother

Particular attention should be paid to the risk of infection of the child. How can you become infected through breast milk and why is staphylococcus dangerous? The staphylococcus found in milk enters the baby’s body both due to non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, and as a result of active foci of inflammation in the mother: cracked nipples, mastitis, rhinitis, sinusitis and others.

Staphylococcus living in milk can be transmitted to children, even if there are no symptoms of damage to the mammary glands.

Intrauterine infection is another possible way transmission of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. How is the pathogen transmitted in this case? Infection through amniotic fluid penetrates the mucous membranes oral cavity, on the skin, in the respiratory tract, food canal. If the integrity of the placenta is compromised.

What is the danger of infection

Obviously, it is quite easy to catch pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus, in particular. The routes of infection in adults and children may be different. It is impossible to determine visually whether a person is contagious, since he may be a carrier, but there are no signs of disease. It is worth knowing where staphylococcus comes from, since this bacterium is considered very dangerous. At the same time, infections caused by it, since the pathogen reacts little to external influences.

The routes of infection with staphylococcus are diverse, and this bacterium remains viable even at a temperature of 70-80 degrees. Killing her is extremely difficult. Only boiling can destroy this microbe.

The bacterium primarily lives in the nasal cavity and armpit area. Frequent sources of infection are doctors, people suffering from chronic dermatitis, drug addicts. In the absence of health problems, staphylococcus most often lives in the nose. But sometimes it happens that bacteria occur in the stomach, perineum, armpit area and hair follicles.

It is worth considering whether the child is dangerous, since more than 20% of children under 2 years of age can be sources of infection. The bacterium penetrates the nasal mucosa. Upon reaching the age of 4 to 6 years, it is detected in 30-50% of cases. Among adults, the number of carriers varies between 15-50%.

After hospitalization in a hospital, the likelihood of infection in a person will increase by approximately 20-30%. At risk are patients suffering from diabetes, taking antibiotics, and undergoing hemodialysis. Almost 35% of employees working in a particular medical institution may be hidden carriers of staphylococcus.

It happens that signs of the disease appear in women after their first menstruation. You should not begin treatment without finding out which antibiotics the infection is sensitive to. Such therapy will be ineffective. Every year, the number of strains resistant to common antibiotics is growing. It’s easy to get infected anywhere, anywhere public place. At the same time, the mortality rate from staphylococcus is approaching 30%.

Infection

Staphylococcus aureus is recognized as an extremely harmful bacterium, causing the development of more than 100 diseases. The infection can affect any organ, killing living cells and causing inflammation. Staphylococcus aureus can cause sepsis, endocarditis, and can affect joints.

Treating such an infection is not an easy task, but in most cases it is quite feasible. The main thing is to consult a doctor in a timely manner; after testing for the susceptibility of the bacteria to antibiotics, antibiotics are prescribed. complex therapy. As a rule, a course of antibacterial and sulfonamide drugs is required.

Since Staphylococcus aureus has the property of developing resistance to antibiotics, treatment is very difficult, especially if the infection does not occur for the first time. After completing the course of therapy, tests are re-administered, and if staphylococcus is not detected, then treatment is stopped. At complex degree infection, except therapeutic activities, you need to take measures to prevent the re-spread of the infection: get rid of vitamin deficiency, adhere to personal hygiene rules, control sweating, avoid injuries and remember how staphylococcus is transmitted in order to avoid “meeting” with it.

The most common opportunistic bacteria is staphylococcus. The microorganism can cause inflammation on the skin, affecting subcutaneous tissue, damage internal organs. To avoid a dangerous infection, it is important to know how staphylococcus is transmitted and whether it is contagious.

Staphylococcus can affect not only internal organs, but also the skin

Staphylococcus - what is it?

Staphylococcus is a gram-positive bacterium that is part of healthy microflora human skin. Not a large number of opportunistic microorganisms are present in the nose and throat, which is normal.

Under certain conditions (decreased immunity, accompanying illnesses) bacteria can cause disruption to the functioning of any organ or system. The skin, intestines and genitourinary system are most often affected.

The severity of the lesion and the characteristics of the course of staphylococcal infection depend on the type of pathogen:

1. Saprophytic staphylococcus. The bacterium affects the genitourinary system of women, causing cystitis and kidney pathologies. Localization of bacteria of this type occurs in the genitals and on the epithelium of the urinary canal.
2. Staphylococcus aureus– the most common and harmful type of pathogenic microorganisms. The bacterium causes purulent inflammation of the skin layers in adults and children; it can affect the liver, heart, blood vessels and brain.
3. Staphylococcus epidermidis. Bacteria included in the composition normal microflora skin and all human mucous membranes. At strong immunity cutaneous staphylococcus does not cause harm to health. If the pathogen enters the blood when weakened protective forces In the body, the focus of inflammation can develop in the heart (in the inner lining).

This infection is very resistant to external factors and has high resistance to antimicrobial drugs Therefore, pathogenic microorganisms are difficult to treat and require long-term therapy.

Causes of infection and routes of transmission

Epidermal and saprophytic pathogens are constantly present on human skin.

The reason for its entry into the blood can be any violation of the integrity of the skin:

• scratches, abrasions, microcracks;
• wounds after surgery.

The risk of contracting Staphylococcus aureus is much higher. This is explained by the fact that the bacterium constantly lives in external environment and moves seamlessly from person to person.

Main routes of transmission:

1. Medical instruments and equipment. You can become infected with a staphylococcal infection during intravenous nutrition, ventilation, or hemodialysis. Most often, patients have weakened immunity, so bacteria, once they enter the body, immediately affect internal organs.
2. Food. Bacteria can be found on dairy products, cakes, eggs, and meat. Once in the body, pathogenic microorganisms poison the intestines, causing severe intoxication.
3. Airborne (airborne dust) path. Microorganisms are quickly transmitted between people through sneezing and coughing. Sometimes, in order to get sick, it is enough to be near the sick person.
4. Household way. Pathogen inflammatory processes withstands high and low temperatures, therefore its presence on household items of a sick person is quite possible. It is important to wash your hands after any contact with other people's things.
5. Nosocomial infections. The source of infection is patients with erased forms of staphylococcus or staphylococcus carriers.
6. Infection through sexual contact. During unprotected sex, staphylococcus moves from the carrier to healthy person through the mucous membranes of the genitourinary tract.

Staphylococcus can be transmitted by airborne droplets

A favorable factor for the development of staphylococcal infection is reduced immunity. Associated viruses, including pathogens of dysbacteriosis, also contribute to the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.

During childbirth

Children have high probability become infected in the maternity hospital through any wounds or microtraumas during childbirth. As a result, the newborn may experience skin rashes purulent in nature, damage to the lungs (pneumonia) and blood (pemphigus, sepsis).

A newborn can become infected through microtraumas

When breastfeeding

If a woman is infected, staphylococcus infection in infants occurs through breast milk. Once in the intestines, the bacterium can cause dysbiosis of varying severity in a child.

Staphylococcus can be transmitted to a child through mother's milk

A mother can also become infected from her baby during breastfeeding. If bacteria from the baby’s saliva get into the cracks in the nipples, staphylococcus provokes the development of severe inflammation, which develops into purulent mastitis.

Is it possible to get infected through a kiss?

Staphylococcal infection transmitted through mucous membranes. With saliva, pathogenic bacteria are able to pass from the carrier to a healthy person. Therefore, kissing is another way of transmitting staphylococcus.

The infection can be transmitted through a kiss

Does infection occur from a dog or cat?

Pets can be infected with staphylococcus. In this case, the route of infection is an animal bite, in which saliva with bacteria enters the human body.

Animals are also susceptible to infection with staphylococcus

Why is infection with staphylococcus dangerous?

Infection with staphylococcus threatens a person with the following consequences:

• pathologies of the urinary system (cystitis, pyelonephritis);
• inflammatory processes in the lungs (pneumonia);
• skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema, furunculosis);
• acute purulent processes internal organs(abscess, peritonitis);
• inflammation in the brain (meningitis);
• defeat gallbladder(cholecystitis).

Staph can cause eczema

Staphylococcus produces dangerous toxins that cause acute intoxication body. To avoid severe consequences, at the first symptoms of illness, it is important to go to the hospital.

Prevention of staphylococcal infection

To protect yourself from staphylococcus infection, you need to adhere to basic preventive measures:

• maintaining personal hygiene (wash hands often, use your own towels, do not take other people’s things);
• timely and thoroughly treat any skin lesions with antiseptics and cover them with bandages (bandage, adhesive plaster);
• lead healthy image life to maintain the body’s immune forces;
• use condoms during sexual intercourse.

To protect yourself from staphylococcus infection, you must use condoms during sexual intercourse.

Preventative measures not only help to avoid infection dangerous infection, but also make it possible to monitor your health in general.

Among the opportunistic bacteria that people encounter every day, the most dangerous is staphylococcus. The microorganism is capable of infecting not only the skin and subcutaneous layers, but also penetrating into organs, causing purulent inflammation in the lungs, brain, genitourinary system, intestines. Staphylococcal infection has many routes of transmission, which makes it especially dangerous for both children and adults.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that almost everyone has heard of. She has spherical shape, very resistant to external influence and persists in the environment for a long time. Most people will say with absolute certainty that this bacterium is dangerous to the body, but only a few can accurately answer how infection occurs. It is for this reason that infection often occurs, since a person, without attaching importance to some of his actions, introduces the bacterium into the body. Children and people suffering from severely weakened immune systems are most often susceptible to Staphylococcus aureus.

What is the danger of Staphylococcus aureus

The particular danger of Staphylococcus aureus is associated with its increased aggressiveness. Doctors most often call it the most persistent bacterium. The danger of this causative agent of a number of diseases is explained by its following properties:

• increased resistance to antiseptic effects - the bacterium can survive boiling for 10 minutes, repeated freezing and treatment with various antiseptic drugs, with the exception of brilliant green;
• immunity to penicillin antibiotics: the bacterium produces special enzymes - penicillinase and lidase, which allow it to withstand the effects of antibiotics and easily melt the skin, penetrating the body;
• production of endotoxin - it quickly causes food and general poisoning, and in some cases even provokes infectious-toxic shock.

After being infected with Staphylococcus aureus, the patient does not develop lifelong immunity, and re-infection can easily occur.

Ways of infection with Staphylococcus aureus

Today, doctors identify 4 ways of infection with Staphylococcus aureus.

Aerogenic infection

In this way, the disease is transmitted from person to person if the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx is affected by staphylococcus. When breathing, the patient secretes environment bacteria that, together with microscopic particles of saliva, remain in the air for a long time. Highest probability infection is observed when being in the same room with a sick person.

When inhaling contaminated air, bacteria extremely rarely remain on the mucous membrane and penetrate directly into the lungs, which is why the infected person develops rapid pneumonia, which is quite difficult to cope with due to the fact that the antibiotics that are used to routinely treat the disease are practically ineffective. It is for this reason that the mortality rate from pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus is very high. At airborne infection maximum mortality rate is observed.

Contact infection

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria often live on human skin, but they do not cause disease as long as the immune system is good and there are no extensive wound surfaces. However, such a carrier of infection is dangerous for others, since upon contact with him, as well as through common household items, pathogenic bacteria pass from him to a healthy person. If there are no wounds on the skin, then nothing will happen, but if staphylococcus gets on damaged skin, then it will not be possible to avoid infection. Quite often, infection with Staphylococcus aureus occurs in this way. medical institutions. This method of infection is the most common. It extremely rarely leads to the death of the patient.

Infection through food

Since Staphylococcus aureus tolerates freezing and heat treatment, then it quite often enters the body along with food of animal origin. You can get the bacteria by consuming the following foods:

• meat;
• fish;
• dairy products;
• eggs.

Once in the stomach, the bacterium releases a large amount of toxic substances that cause severe poisoning, but she herself, in the absence of wounds on the mucous membrane, quickly dies under the influence of hydrochloric acid. If there is damage to the gastric mucosa, then the entry of staphylococcus into the body results in extremely severe damage to the body, quite often leading to the death of the patient even with timely application for medical help.

Artificial infection

Since Staphylococcus aureus is very resistant and tolerates many chemical antiseptics and high temperatures, then in case of poor-quality sterilization of instruments in medical institutions, it is easily transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one. According to statistics, 70% of all cases of infection with Staphylococcus aureus occur in medical institutions.
The consequences of Staphylococcus aureus entering the body are very dangerous and require long-term and complex treatment. It is for this reason that doctors call the bacterium the most dangerous of all types of widespread pathogens.