ABSTRACT
Staphylococcus is known to cause a wide range of illnesses in humans. Staphylococcus aureus, one of the most commonly reported human pathogenic Staphylococcus species, causes bacteremia, endocarditis, skin and soft tissue infections, and infections associated with medical devices. A serious global public health concern is the increasing prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in healthcare and community settings. MRSA can infect both humans and animals. Infection caused by MRSA is often challenging to treat because of its resistance to multiple drugs.
This chapter covers the sources, epidemiology, pathophysiology, molecular detection approaches in surveillance, and outbreaks of human pathogenic Staphylococcal infections in detail. The sources of human pathogenic Staphylococcus and the mechanism of bacterial transmission via animal origin, environment, food handlers, and companion animals are also discussed. In-depth descriptions of Staphylococcal virulence factors, enterotoxins, antibiotic resistance, and biofilm formation are also included. In addition, various methods of molecular identification of Staphylococcus, including PCR, Mass Spectrometry, VITEK 2, and Whole Genome Sequencing, were presented in the chapter.
