$21.00
Giant Microbes adorable plush Staph is a popular teaching tool in hospitals. Better hygiene reduces nosocomial transmissions and a good reminder to treat cuts with antibiotic ointment quickly.
A bacterium walked into a cafe and was told "We don’t serve bacteria in this place." The bacterium said, "But I work here, I’m Staph." When staph drops by, visiting hours are over.
FACTS: There are over 30 different kinds of staph bacteria, but staphylococcus aureus is the most common. (Staph, or staphyle, means “bunch of grapes” in Greek, which is more or less what staph looks likes under the microscope.)
It can often be found living harmlessly on human skin. But occasionally, staph will wander into a hair follicle or slip into a crack in your skin causing a slew of common infections ranging from boils, to sties, to rashes. Red sores and pus are typical of affected areas.
Because these types of infections are normally localized and minor, washing with antibacterial ointment is usually sufficient treatment. And in many cases, staph infections clear up on their own.
But it is important to monitor infected areas and keep them clean. If staph penetrates further into your body, or gets into your bloodstream, it can cause serious ailments such as “food poisoning”, pneumonia, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), and even septicemia.
In addition, patients undergoing surgery are at significantly increased risk for infection, not only because their skin-barrier is compromised, but also because their immune systems are typically suppressed.
Which is one reason hospitals try to maintain as sterile an environment as possible: infecting patients with staph after curing them is clinically-proven to reap sour grapes.
NAME: Staphylococcus comes from the Greek: staphyle = bunch of grapes, and kokkos = berry, for its appearance under a microscope. Aureus comes from the Latin: aurum = gold, because of the color of the colonies.
WHERE IT LIVES: Contact with an infection or something that has recently touched an infection. Fun gift for a doctor or nurse!
SYMPTOMS: It can cause boils, food poisoning, or toxic shock syndrome. Skin infections are typically shown as a pus-filled sore. Internally, it can cause fever and low blood pressure. If infections progress, there are dangerous and potentially fatal effects.
CURE: Different antibiotics depending on the type of Staph. Food poisoning typically clears on its own.
HISTORY:
1882: Alexander Ogston discovered and named Staphylococcus as the primary cause of pus.
1884: Anton Rosenbach isolated and named Staphylococcus aureus.
FASCINATING FACTS:
Famous People Who Have Had Staph: Roy Scheider, from Jaws, died with Sta[h infection complications in 2008.
Check out our complete range of Giant Microbe products.
