Erum Education

Staphylococcus aureus is a spherical gram-positive bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a common member of the body's microbiota, often found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive for catalase and nitrate reduction and is a facultative anaerobe that can grow without the need for oxygen. Although Staphylococcus aureus usually acts as a component of the human microbiota, it can also become an opportunistic pathogen, which is a common cause of skin infections including abscesses, respiratory infections such as sinusitis and food poisoning. Pathogenic species often drive infections by producing virulence factors such as potent protein toxins and expression of a cell surface protein that binds and inactivates antibodies. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the leading pathogens for antimicrobial resistance-related deaths, and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a global problem in ...