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Staph is a commonly used abbreviation for
Staphylococcus, a group of bacteria commonly found on the skin. Dermatitis
is a term that means that the skin is inflamed.
the dog's immune system over-reacts
to its own bacteria.
Staph can cause bleeding.
Cephalexin
Is one of
the drugs used to combat Staph
Microbiology
Staphylococci are Gram-positive bacteria that occur in clusters. The name
is derived from the Greek and means 'bunch of grapes', which aptly describes
their microscopic appearance. S. aureus was the first species to be
identified about a century ago, and was clearly associated with a range of
pus-forming infections such as post-operative wounds and skin sepsis, as
well as more serious problems like pneumonia, meningitis, and
intra-abdominal and blood infections. By contrast, CoNS were distinguished
from their virulent relative by their inability to clot blood. They were
considered to be harmless organisms living on the skin. As recently as the
early 1970s only two species of CoNS were recognised, namely
Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. In
the past two decades, more than 30 staphylococcal species have been
described, over half of which are pathogenic to man.2 The
remaining species are more closely associated with domestic and farm
animals.
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