The common name for the infection caused Staphylococcus bacteria is “Staph Infection”. This is what we lay people know it to be. Essentially Staphylococcus bacteria are harmless, but they catch you in the wrong place at the wrong time they can be lethal. Many people get Staph infections and hardly know they are infected.

The Greek language is the source of the scientific name for these bacteria - Staphyle: a bunch of grapes, and Kokkos: berries. This means bacteria which looks like either a bunch of grapes or berries when looked at under the microscope.

They are “gram-positive, facultative anaerobic unencapsulated cocci”. Whether this makes you any wiser or not is hard to say, but is looks and sounds very intelligent. If you can get your tongue around this description, the next time you have a wound which goes a little septic, you can say.

Essentially there are more than thirty different Staphylococci (the plural of Staphylococcus) which are able to cause infections in the human body. However most of these are of the “aureus” variety.

They are found naturally in areas of the body such as the nose and on the skin, and can also be found elsewhere but this is less common. 20 - 30% of healthy adults walk around with these little boogers hitching a ride. More often than not they do not cause any illness. The problem is that when an injury is incurred, the bacteria can overcome the body’s natural resistance to them.

There are some of us who are more liable to get Staph infections, and this can be dangerous. Particularly for breastfeeding mothers, newborn babies, people with chronic illnesses, intravenous drug abusers, people who have undergone invasive surgery, and people with HIV or other illnesses which compromise the immune system. You do not have to fit into these categories however and anyone can get a Staph infection.

It can also affect people who have weak immune systems and people who have had surgery, but virtually anyone is able to contract a staph infection.

It can cause food poisoning, mastitis, sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, and many other serious illnesses. But essentially it is just a little, bunch of grape shaped booger, that many of us walk around with naturally and hardly harms us at all.

There are many people who have joined the wrestling team and contracted staff infection. If you are one of them, go get help right away, it’s a dangerous virus.

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