Staphylococcus Infections and Conditions

Vocabulary flashcards covering Staphylococcus characteristics, virulence factors, and associated skin and eye infections based on the lecture transcript.

Commensal bacteria

Bacteria found on all humans that neither harm nor benefit the host.

Staphylococcus

A gram-positive, non-motile, facultative anaerobe, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, and coagulase-positive bacterium that appears as spherical cocci in clusters.

Coagulase

A bacterial enzyme that clots blood, aiding the pathogen in hiding from the host's immune system.

Catalase

An enzyme that breaks down reactive oxygen species like hydrogen peroxide, which immune cells like phagocytes use to destroy engulfed microbes.

Staphylokinase

An enzyme produced by some bacterial strains that breaks down blood clots, allowing bacteria to be released from a wound and spread through tissue.

Exfoliative toxin

A bacterial toxin associated with scalded skin syndrome that causes reddening, fluid-filled blisters, and skin peeling.

Hyaluronidase

An enzyme that breaks down the extracellular matrix of connective tissues.

Hemolysins

Enzymes that lyse red blood cells, giving certain bacterial strains their beta-hemolytic activity.

Lipase

An enzyme produced by bacteria that digests lipids in tissues.

Folliculitis

An infection of a hair follicle by staph bacteria, causing it to become red, swollen, or pus-filled.

Stye

A folliculitis infection that occurs specifically on the eyelid.

Furuncle

Also known as a boil; a localized skin infection created when a hair follicle infection spreads into the surrounding tissue.

Carbuncle

A severe lesion formed when several furuncles join together, which can trigger fever and chills as it spreads into deeper tissues.

Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome

A condition typically observed in infants caused by exfoliative toxin, characterized by skin reddening, clear fluid-filled blisters, and peeling off of skin in sheets within about $2$ days.

Infantigo

A childhood skin infection typically occurring in children aged $2$ to $5$ years old, characterized by reddened, itchy skin with pus-filled vesicles on the face or extremities, treated with penicillin antibiotics.

Conjunctiva

The transparent layer of tissue covering the sclera (white of the eye) and the inner surfaces of the eyelid.

Conjunctivitis

Inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, commonly referred to as pink eye.

Ophthalmia neonatorum

A form of conjunctivitis in newborns caused by exposure to chlamydia or gonorrhea bacteria in the birth canal, which can cause permanent eye damage.