Where S. aureus Lives?
What is Staphylococcus aureus?
Lab tests for staph
S. aureus lives in:
- healthy people (S. aureus carriers): in the mucosa of the nose, less commonly in the throat, vagina, intestines and lungs; on the skin: mainly in the armpits, under the breasts, and in the groin;
- infected people: in skin lesions, blood, stool, urine, respiratory mucosa, genitals, abscesses of internal organs;
- animals: in pets (fur, skin, nares) and farm animals (cows udders, horses, poultry);
- contaminated food: milk (from infected cow), food prepared and kept outside refrigerator (contamination from infected food worker);
- athletic equipment, toys, workout surfaces;
- air, water, soil, dust (less important sources).
Staph Reservoir
Primary reservoir for S. aureus (including MRSA) is a human. Staph is common in cows (mastitis), poultry, and pets (dogs, cats). In Canada they’ve found MRSA in pigs (1).
