Let’s Dance actor Rayane Bensetti recently posted on his Instagram account saying he had been diagnosed with Staphylococcus aureus. What causes this infection, how to react, what are the risks…? Everything you need to know about Staphylococcus aureus.
Initially, it was a simple button on the chest, which he pierced. Then, “Everything got infected and I woke up the next day swollen from neck to stomach with my whole body red.” He describes the feeling of a “tennis ball in the middle of the belly. I looked at myself in the mirror, my body was no longer mine, I was swollen all over. Impossible to carry my phone in my left hand, I was paralyzed on the left,” he explains.
Where does Staphylococcus aureus come from?
He explains that he caught it in the hospital. Besides, the Pasteur Institute emphasizes that these are the “first agents responsible for nosocomial infections (infections contracted in a hospital environment)” even if they can be contracted elsewhere. These bacteria “are part of the natural skin flora and particularly colonize the external mucous membranes. But they are frequently present in the environment, in untreated water, on the ground, on soiled objects, for example.
That said, Staphylococcus aureus does not always cause infection. It is estimated that 30 to 50% of the population are “healthy carriers”. The Institut Pasteur adds: “When the skin barrier is broken (wounds). The bacteria can then develop at the level of the lesion and cause a skin infection whose degree of severity will depend on the bacterial strain causing the infection as well as the speed of treatment and the general state of health of the patient. »
Symptoms and risk factors
Usually, an infection is spotted becausea wound becomes purulent. The MSD Manual details the different types of infections: this can manifest itself in the form of “folliculitis”, at the base of a hair, a small pain and a pimple appear. This can lead to impetigo, small superficial blisters that “rupture and give way to a honey-yellow crust”. It can form abscesses, an infection under the skin (called cellulitis), or the “toxic epidermal necrosis” seen in newborns.
The MSD Manual adds that the bacteria can move through the bloodstream and colonize the body, to the point of reaching the heart valves, lungs, or bones. Moreover, certain conditions can increase the risk of getting a staph infectionsuch as leukemia, flu, lung disease, diabetes mellitus, tumors… These Staphylococcus aureus infections are very contagious.
What treatment for staphylococcus aureus
If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to see a doctor. A blood test may be performed to confirm the visual diagnosis. THE treatment consists of antibiotic therapy, which depending on the infection and patient history, may vary. Frequently used antibiotics are: vancomycin, linezolid, tedizolid, quinupristin plus dalfopristin, ceftaroline, telavancin, daptomycin. When the infection has spread, it is sometimes necessary to complete with surgery.
Sources: MSD Manual, Institut Pasteur, Instagram