It lives on surfaces and on the ground. You might also carry it on your skin and in your nose. So how does it go from harmless companion to troublesome foe? Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.
But when staph enters your body through a nick or cut in your skin, it may result in an infection. Careful hand-washing is your best defense against germs.
Wash your hands with soap and water briskly for at least 20 seconds. Then dry them with a disposable towel and use another towel to turn off the faucet. If your hands aren't visibly dirty, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands with soap and water regularly, such as before, during and after making food; after handling raw meat or poultry; before eating; after using the bathroom; and after touching an animal or animal waste.
Wash clothing and bedding in hot water. Staph bacteria can survive on clothing and bedding that isn't properly washed. To get bacteria off clothing and sheets, wash them in hot water whenever possible. Also, use bleach on any bleach-safe materials.
Drying in the dryer is better than air-drying, but staph bacteria may survive the clothes dryer. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Staph infections are caused by staphylococcus bacteria, types of germs commonly found on the skin or in the nose of even healthy individuals.
Staph infection Open pop-up dialog box Close. Staph infection MRSA infections start out as small red bumps that can quickly turn into deep, painful abscesses. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Nearly 20, people died with bloodstream staph infections in Staph infections can kill, March , Vital Signs. Staph can spread in and between hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and in communities. People are at higher risk for staph infection when they have surgery or stay in healthcare facilities, have medical devices in their body, inject drugs, or when they come in close contact with someone who has staph.
Additional tactics in healthcare—such as decolonization reducing germs people may carry and spread before surgery—along with current CDC recommendations could prevent more staph infections. Take action against all staph. MRSA is well known but any staph can be deadly. Staph is a leading cause of infections in US healthcare facilities.
Current recommendations have reduced MRSA in healthcare, but progress has slowed. Recent data suggest MSSA rates are not declining. Antibiotics are the main line of treatment for most staph infections. The choice of antibiotic depends in part on how serious your infection is and what type of staph you have. Some minor skin infections will heal on their own with no drug treatment. Invasive staph infections usually require hospitalization for IV antibiotic treatment to fight the infection and other supportive treatment to help you heal.
Antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections include: 3. Some people are interested in alternative therapies to treat their staph infections. Many internet claims tout applying natural substances, such as coconut oil , tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar , and essential oils, to the skin. One natural remedy that has shown promise is manuka honey.
This type of honey has demonstrated antimicrobial activity and the ability to enhance the effects of some antibiotics.
Still, more research needs to be done before manuka honey can safely be used to treat staph, according to an article published in in Letters in Applied Microbiology.
Staph bacteria are everywhere. Stay clean. Keeping your hands and body clean is the most important way to prevent a staph infection. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds at a time, and shower daily. Clean any wounds. Clean cuts, scrapes, and other injuries thoroughly with soap and water to rinse out dirt and bacteria. Avoid sharing personal items. Change tampons frequently. If you use tampons, change them at least every four to eight hours to avoid developing toxic shock syndrome.
Keeping tampons in for extended periods creates an environment that can cause bacteria to grow. Wash clothing and linens in hot water. If you or someone in your household has a staph infection, wash your clothes, towels, and bedding in hot water, using bleach, if possible. Dry the laundry in the dryer, making sure it is completely dry before you remove it. Be careful about the food you eat.
Wash your hands before preparing food or eating finger foods. Make sure that the hot foods you eat stay hot until you serve them, and the cold foods stay cold. The temperature of hot foods should be above degrees F, and the temperature of cold foods should be below 40 degrees F. Use clean razors to shave. If you get a staph infection in an area you normally shave, avoid shaving until the infection clears.
If you must shave, use a clean, disposable razor. Wash yourself and your clothing after playing sports. Athletes should shower right after a game, competition, or practice. Also, wash your workout clothes and uniforms regularly, and keep your equipment clean. One of the most serious complications of a staph infection happens when the bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause an inflammatory response known as sepsis.
Sepsis can turn into septic shock , a life-threatening condition that causes your blood pressure to drop dramatically and additionally causes organ damage.
More than 1. In the United States, sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitals. Sepsis is more common in very young children, older adults, and those with chronic diseases or weakened immune systems.
Still, a CDC report released in March found that more than , people had a bloodstream staph infection in the United States in , and nearly 20, died.
The report also stated that while rates of MRSA bloodstream infections acquired in hospital settings declined by about 17 percent annually from to , the rate of decline slowed from to Meanwhile, the rate of community-onset MRSA declined by an average of 6. The rate of hospital-onset methicillin-susceptible S. Staph infections, including MRSA, can affect children and may be more common in those who spend time at daycare facilities, and in kids who play team sports, notes the University of Rochester.
Sometimes staph bacteria can transfer from one animal to another, from a human to an animal, and in some cases, from an animal to a human. Talk to your veterinarian if you think your pet might have an infection, notes PetMD.
Anyone can develop a staph infection, but some research suggests that Black Americans in particular may be more susceptible to staph infections than people of other backgrounds. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that Black Americans and people age 65 and older were among the most likely to contract a serious MRSA infection. The researchers theorized that Black people may be more susceptible to the infection than white people because they have higher rates of underlying medical conditions.
Other research, published in September in Clinical Infectious Diseases, found that racial disparities in healthcare-associated MRSA infections persisted from to , even while the overall incidence of such infections decreased, with Black Americans having a 2 to 3 times higher incidence than white Americans.
More studies need to be conducted to determine why MRSA affects difference races at different rates.
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