According to MayoClinic.com, staph infections are caused by the gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria can spread through the air or through skin contact, especially with dirty hands and fingernails. They are present in the skin and the nose even on healthy people. When the skin is cut or punctured, the bacteria can enter the wound and can cause infection and other complications. A form of the bacteria is resistant to treatment and, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield, about 1.2 million people are infected with that drug resistant staph infection every year.
Folliculitis and Boils
According to MayoClinic.com, folliculitis happens as a result of a staph infection. Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles, the tiny pores where the hair grows. Pimple-like blisters grow, each with a white head. Their number is further enhanced by friction, such as during shaving. Folliculitis often disappears with good hygiene. Sometimes, it develops into a boil. When boils appear, the bacteria spread wider and deeper into the skin. The skin then swells and becomes very tender on the "head" of the boil. The head may break and will begin to drain out pus and blood.
Impetigo
According to KidsHealth.org, a publication of the Nemours Foundation, impetigo usually occurs on school-age children. It is a contagious skin infection manifested by blisters around the nose and the mouth, the neck, and the forearm. It could also occur on the other parts of the body. The blisters are reddish and contain clear liquid inside at first. Then the liquid eventually becomes cloudy. If impetigo progresses, the blisters may break and leave brown-colored liquid on the skin, as if that part of the skin has been covered with honey. Good hygiene is very important in preventing impetigo.
Sepsis
This is a very serious condition in which the bacteria have already penetrated the bloodstream. The different organs of the body are likely to be invaded. Organ functions are affected and can eventually lead to a sometimes fatal drop in blood pressure known as septic shock. MayoClinic.com states that the ones most prone to this are the very young and the very old, those whose immune systems are somewhat weaker.
