Where Does S. aureus Live?
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, the 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 a refrigerator for some hours (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 have found MRSA in pigs (1).
