Staphylococcus aureus

Also known as S. aureus

species of bacterium

AI overview

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium that can live on human skin and in the nose without causing problems, but can also cause infections ranging from minor skin issues to serious illnesses. It's medically important because it can spread easily between people and some strains have become resistant to antibiotics, making infections harder to treat.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Staphylococcus aureus

SPECIES

KingdomBacteria
PhylumFirmicutes
ClassBacilli
OrderStaphylococcales
FamilyStaphylococcaceae

Observations recorded27,668

Staphylococcus aureus ist ein kugelförmiges, grampositives Bakterium, das häufig in Haufen (Traubenform) angeordnet ist (Haufenkokken). Staphylokokken bewegen sich nicht aktiv und bilden keine Sporen. Die Größe liegt üblicherweise zwischen 0,8 und 1,2 µm. Staphylococcus aureus ist weit verbreitet, kommt in vielen Habitaten vor, lebt meistens als harmloser, beim Menschen zur normalen Besiedlungsflora der Haut und Schleimhaut gehörender Saprobiont und Kommensale, kann aber auch pathogen sein und neben Haut- und Weichgewebsinfektionen auch Lungenentzündung, Hirnhautentzündung, Endokarditis und sogar ein toxisches Schocksyndrom und Sepsis verursachen. Bezüglich ihres Ansprechens auf Antibiotika wurden Staphylokokken in Methicillin-sensible (MSSA) und Methicillin-resistente (MRSA) Stämme eingeteilt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Name 2 Vorkommen 3 Physiologische Eigenschaften 4 Pathogenität 5 Pathomechanismen 6 Therapie 7 Multiresistenz 7.1 Mechanismus der Resistenz 7.2 Verbreitung von MRSA 7.2.1 International 7.2.2 Außerhalb von Kliniken 7.2.3 Landwirtschaft, industrielle Nahrungsmittelproduktion 7.2.4 Außerhalb vom Menschen 7.2.4.1 Klärwerke, Klärschlamm 7.2.4.2 In Tieren 7.2.5 In Einrichtunge

via GBIF

Research

176,031 papers

Staphylococcus aureus: a model for bacterial cell biology and pathogenesis.ReviewJournal of bacteriology · 2025Pinho MG, Götz F, Peschel ADOI: 10.1128/jb.00106-25
The Staphylococcus aureus complex: implications for the clinical microbiology laboratory.ReviewJournal of clinical microbiology · 2025Yan A, Kus JV, Sant NDOI: 10.1128/jcm.01276-24
Staphylococcus aureus Toxins: Promoter or Handicap during Infection?Toxins · 2021Löffler B, Tuchscherr LDOI: 10.3390/toxins13040287
Staphylococcus aureus, master manipulator of the human hemostatic system.ReviewJournal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH · 2018Liesenborghs L, Verhamme P, Vanassche TDOI: 10.1111/jth.13928
Inside job: Staphylococcus aureus host-pathogen interactions.ReviewInternational journal of medical microbiology : IJMM · 2018Horn J, Stelzner K, Rudel T et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2017.11.009
How does Staphylococcus aureus successfully colonize the nasal cavity.ReviewCritical reviews in microbiology · 2025Chen P, Ma Y, Xiao YDOI: 10.1080/1040841X.2025.2486171
Staphylococcus aureus: superbug, super genome?ReviewTrends in microbiology · 2004Lindsay JA, Holden MTDOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2004.06.004
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in food and the prevalence in Brazil: a review.ReviewBrazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology] · 2020da Silva AC, Rodrigues MX, Silva NCCDOI: 10.1007/s42770-019-00168-1

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Staphylococcus aureus, 50,000x, USDA, ARS, EMU.jpg

Show 5 more facts

Commons gallery: Staphylococcus aureus
Commons category: Staphylococcus aureus
taxon name: Staphylococcus aureus
LPSN URL: lpsn.dsmz.de/species/staphylococcus-aureus
review score: 1.5/5

Sources (6)

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~40 min read

Article

Staphylococcus aureus on basic cultivation media Hemolysis on blood agar, DNase activity, clumping factor, latex agglutination, growth on mannitol-salt and Baird-Parker agar, hyaluronidase production.

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive for catalase and nitrate reduction and is a facultative anaerobe, meaning that it can grow without oxygen. Although S. aureus usually acts as a commensal of the human microbiota, it can also become an opportunistic pathogen, being a common cause of skin infections including abscesses, respiratory infections such as sinusitis, and food poisoning. Pathogenic strains often promote infections by producing virulence factors such as potent protein toxins, and the expression of a cell-surface protein that binds and inactivates antibodies. S. aureus is one of the leading pathogens for deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The bacterium is a worldwide problem in clinical medicine. Despite much research and development, no vaccine for S. aureus has been approved.