Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus are rounded, gram-positive bacteria without active movement from the group of Cocci. As pathogens they colonize the skin and mucous membranes of humans and animals.
Staph prefer temperatures from 30 to 37 degrees Celsius – but are also outside this temperature range via viable.
There are many different staph strains. In the genus Staphylococcus, almost 50 species are included. Many species are still divided into sub-species.
The staph species with the highest pathogenic potency is Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus can lead to diseases such as pneumonia, endocarditis and sepsis.
Some of the staphylococcus bacterial strains have formed resistance to common antibiotics such as penicillin G. These multi-resistant strains, the so-called MRSA strains, represent a particular danger to humans and animals because of their poor antibiotic therapy.
(Sources: Frank tipping: threatening increase in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, in: German medical Journal No. 101, 2004;
H. Linde, N. Armchair: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in: German Medical weekly Journal nr. 130, 2005)