[Microbiology and Immunology 2500A/B] - Final Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes fot the exam (23 pages long!)
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Staphylococci (cid:498)staphyle(cid:499) greek for bunch of grapes. S. epidermidis is known for forming biofilms. An efficient colonizer of humans that doesn"t usually cause problems. Carriers of s. aureus are healthy, asymptomatic people. Colonization leads to greater risk of infection, but prognosis is also generally better. Skin and mucous membranes, nose (~30% of people are persistently colonized) Spread person-person by direct or indirect contact. Fomites (inanimate objects capable of transmitting an infectious disease) e. g. towels, razors, bandages. S. aureus surface proteins bind host proteins using adhesins (e. g. fibronectin, collagen and elastin binding proteins) A leading cause of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections. Causes > 10 million skin and soft tissue infections/year in u. s. The hallmark of s. aureus infection is the abscess. A collection of dead neutrophils (pus) due to infection. Abscesses don"t typically heal on their own require drainage and maybe. Abscesses can occur in any organ but are most frequent on the skin.