Is Staph Infection Contagious?

The answer to is staph infection contagious is yes. Staph infection is a skin disorder that occurs due to the attack of the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureas. The term Staphylococcus is derived from the Greek word staphyle meaning a bunch of grapes. Whereas the Greek word Kokkos means berries. In fact the bacteria when seen under a microscope appear like a branch of grapes or berries. Medically the bacterial germ actually falls under the category of gram positive and facultative anaerobic unencapsulated cocci.

The staph bacterium is very hardy in nature and it can survive in almost any environment condition. The bacterium is responsible for causing varied type of skin infections ranging from mild to chronic ones. The bacteria can be sourced externally as well as from the very surface of the skin itself. Many healthy men carry the germs of the bacteria in their skin and often stay unaffected by it. But sometimes the bacteria may happen to enter inside the skin through a wound or a scratch on the skin surface and causing infection.

If you are wandering is staph infection is contagious or not, you must be informed that the bacterial germ not only can make the carrier as their victim but can also pass on to the skin of other individuals coming in contact with the carrier. In fact if there is an outbreak of boil infection or any other staph infection, make sure that your entire family goes for a bacterial culture.

Most of the staph infections are characterized by yellowish white pus when they get matured. The white pus gets discharged along with a red stream of blood when the infection is about to heal. One should be highly careful while dealing with the pus as it is highly contagious in nature. The pus actually consists of bacteria, white blood cells, protein elements and dead skin tissues. The other parts of the body gets infected when the flowing bacteria carrying pus comes in contact with them.

Is staph infection contagious is a question that arises in the minds of many as the incidence of the bacterial infection is quite common. The contagious pus that comes out of the infected wound and leads to further development of the infection is actually the result of the action taken against the bacterial attack by the immune system of the body. A normal healthy individual has the natural ability to fight against the bacterial invasion. In fact staph infection is common among individuals who have weak immune system, suffering from poor health or any other internal disorder like diabetes and HIV positive.

The individuals suffering from immune damaging disorders like diabetes and HIV positive have colonies of bacteria growing inside their nasal chamber. As a result of which they get easily affected by the bacteria and suffer from recurrent skin staph infections.

Types of Skin Staph Infections

The following information on skin staph infection would help you to get an idea about is staph infection contagious or not.

• The staph skin infection is generally a localized skin infection that occurs superficially on the skin surface. Impetigo is one such staph infection that generally occurs among young children. The infection appears to be like a honey colored crust like formation with flowing pus on getting matured.
• In contrast to impetigo the occurrence of cellulites causes deep rooted skin infection. Cellulitis is characterized by the inflammation of the deep skin tissues underneath the epidermis. Redness and swelling of the connective tissues occur due to the incidence of cellulites.
• Though very rare, but complications of the bacterial infection may lead to the incidence of scaled skin syndrome or SSS. The scaled skin syndrome is the phenomenon when the staph attack produces a certain type of protein that damages the 'cementing element' of the skin. The layers of the skin loosen and result blister like formations. The disorder can turn into a fatal one if the infection happens to spread all across the skin surface. The infection would appear as if the entire skin has received a burn. The upper layers of the skin becomes sloughing in appearance.

  The SSS is to be taken under immediate medical attention and special medical treatment is to be offered in order to heal it. Intravenous antibiotic treatments would be necessary to protect the skin from peeling off. Due to the incidence of the disease the skin often gets prone to dehydration and aggravates condition of the infection manifold. The scaled skin syndrome is common among children under the age of five. The disease is also termed as Ritter disease.

• Mastitis is the skin staph infection that occurs as infected lump formations in the breast of milking women. If you are thinking is staph infection contagious or not, then you must know that the incidence of bacterial infection in the breast may result the contamination of the milk and may get transferred to the baby who feeds on it.
• Though not harmful in nature, but the occurrence of staph infections may lead to the development of various life threatening disorders. Serious forms of infection can develop if somehow the pus containing bacteria comes in contact with the main blood stream of the body. The blood then carries the bacteria to the various organ systems of the body as well.
• Staphylococcal pneumonia occurs when the lungs are suffering from an under lying disorder along with lump like formations on the walls of the lungs.
• The incidence of infection in the walls of the heart called endocarditis lead to even heart failures.
• Osteomyelitis is the disease caused by the staph bacteria when the bones get affected accompanied by severe inflammations.
• The incidence of shock or blood circulatory collapse happens when the main blood stream gets infected. This is known as staphylococcal sepsis.
• The staph infection may result food poisoning which is characterized by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting tendency and other bowels related disorders.
• The toxic shock syndrome occurs due to the release of bacterial toxic under an environment of almost negligible oxygen content.