Staphylococcus Aureus - Term Paper Example

Staphylococcus aureas Staphylococcus aureas Illnesses that originate due to bacterial infection are known as bacterial diseases. Bacteria are microorganisms that are microscopic in nature, that is, they can’t be seen by the naked eye but by use of a microscope. Bacteria is not the only type of microorganism, others are viruses, some parasites and some fungi. Bacteria in normal situations live in animals’ intestines, on genitalia and on skin in millions. Most of the bacteria don’t cause diseases, but promote good health, thus called “healthy bacteria” or “good bacteria.” Pathogenic bacteria are the harmful bacteria. They cause infections and diseases (Cynthia, 2013). This paper is going to look at Staphylococcus aureas, its effects in the modern world and how it has affected civilization. Taxonomy Staphylococcus aureus is a species name with the Kingdom being bacteria. The bacterial is Firmicutes while the class is Cocci. The order of these bacteria is Bacillales while the family is Staphylococcaceae. The genus and the species can be derived from its scientific name with the genus being Staphylococcus. Its scientific name is Staphylococcus aureus while in other scientific works, it has also been referred to as Micrococcus aureus, Micrococcus pyogenes, Staphlococcus pyogenes citreus and Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus (Freeman, 2005). History of the Staphylococcus aureas, Discovery and Cure The bacterium S. aureas, commonly referred to as Staph, was first discovered in 1980s. During this time S. aureas was commonly associated with infections that led to painful skin and/ or conditions that were related to the soft tissues. These conditions included the boils, impetigo and a syndrome known as scalded- skin. S. aureas in its serious form can develop to form bacterial pneumonia and blood- stream bacteria. Both of these two are fatal in nature. Since 1940s the S. aureas infections are treated by the use of antibiotics such as penicillin and its products. Misusing and overusing of this penicillin and its products are the major reason why the bacterium has developed resistance over years, forcing the innovation of more powerful antibiotics like methicillin (NIH, 2008). Morphology Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can be referred to as gram- positive. This means that its cell wall has a very thick layer made of peptidoglycan. These bacteria have no flagella and form clusters of spherical colonies that are in two planes. Its secretions include adhesions, exoenzymes, capsular polysaccharides and endotoxins. The main responsibility that is associated with the capsule is the increased virulence of the mucoid strain (Ian, 2010). The central glucose metabolism routes are the EMP (Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas) pathway and the cycle known as pentose phosphate. The anaerobic end product of glucose metabolism is lactate while the bend products for aerobic processes are carbon (IV) oxide and acetate. Chemical and Biochemical Characteristics of the Flucloxacillin Flucloxacillin is one of the antibiotics used in the treatment of infections that are caused by the S. aureus bacteria that are resistant in nature (Gram positive). Flucloxacillin is active against organisms that produce beta- lactamase like the S. aureus that have a history of being resistant to most of the penicillin medicines. The S. aureus are the major cause of antibacterial resistance in the infected areas like the skin, bone, chest, soft tissue and joints (Arumugam, 2012). The structure of flucloxacillin is as shown below; Source: Pubchem. The molecular formula is C 19H17 CIFN3 O5 S Molecular weight is 453. 87 g/mol Flucloxacillin ingestion description normally proposes that it should be taken on an empty stomach for best results. This is due to its chemical and biochemical characteristics that enable it to be absorbed faster in the stomach than any other part of the digestion system. This characteristic makes it differ with other antibiotics. Compared to other penicillins, flucloxacillin is more stable when it comes to acid interaction and in addition to other parenteral routs can be ingested orally. Side effects that are commonly associated with flucloxacillin are stomach, upset, vomiting, nausea, rash and diarrhea. The side effects that are not common include hives, rash, breathing trouble, wheezing, fever, purple rash that is wide spread, and joint or muscle aches (Arumugam, 2012). Extraction and Use of the Important Product All the common antibiotics used today to treat S. aureas infections are products of penicillin, which is a natural product. White and blue penicillin molds is what makes up penicillin; and for the case of commercial penicillin the primary ingredient is the mold known as Pencillium chrysogeum. Commercial penicillin is a product of cells that are extracted from a form of mold that grows on a type of melon known as cantaloupe that could be found in parts of Peoria, Illinois in the year 1941. These penicillin molds can also be developed by setting the appropriate conditions for the molds to grow on the surface of the bread, lemon or orange skin, blue cheese among other places (Pubchem, n.d). The molds that would have developed on the surfaces are the primary penicillin. These molds are known as the penicillium molds and making it is not difficult and can be done even in the common kitchen. The product of extraction from the penicillin is therefore used to make the penicillin drugs that differ in structure and in strength. It is important to note that eating the penicillin mold that is still alive is not dangerous (Pubchem, n.d). Evolution of the Organism Genome projects related to Staphylococcus the species that have been given much attention and received so much study is the Staphylococcus aureus. As per now the most complicated genome among microbial species is the genome of Staphylococcus aureus due to evolution reasons. The original Staphylococcus aureus genome map was based on NCTC 8325 strain. The evolution has ensured that the strains have changed six times (N315, COL, MW2, Mu50, MRSA252, MSSA476) since the year 2000 (Freeman, 2005). 1880s marks the discovery of Staphylococcus aureus and since then it was known that it was a potential pathogenic bacterium that would cause infections, like skin infections that are minor and also wound infections. In the early years of the 1940s, the bacterium was rated as one of the major death causes with 80% of those with the infection that related to S. aureus died (Rudd & Ellen, 2008). Introduction of penicillin was the product of this massive death, but that was not enough since the bacterium developed resistance. The year 1942 is when the first case of S. aureus that is resistant to penicillin was found in the hospital, then later in the resistance scenario was witnessed in the communities. In 1960, research show that approximately 80% of all the S. aureus became penicillin- resistant, and this is the scenario up to date. This led to the introduction of another medicine know as methicillin in 1959. The S. aureus through evolution acquired mecA gene that made it resistant to methicillin. These clones of S. aureus (HA- MRSA) assimilated world- wide in 45 years and could be found in all places and regions of the world. The 1990s were characterized by virulent MRSA clones that were associated with the community and were known as CA-MRSA clones. These clones were having a feature of toxin PVL (Panton- Valentine leukocidin) that made is of much resistance in nature and the first in the community and later managed to get in the healthcare facilities. A per now, due to fading of similarities, there is no much distinction when it comes to HA-MRSA and CA- MRSA (Rudd & Ellen, 2008). Resistance of S. aureas S. aureus has proved to be influenced naturally by almost all antibiotics that have been in existence. Its capability to transfer genes horizontally from the external sources and chromosomal has seen to it that the bacterium lives (Rudd & Ellen, 2008). This has led to the development of stronger antibiotics but if not used properly, there are higher chances that it will develop resistance to those too making it even deadlier. Staphylococcus aureas is commonly found in human beings and can cause bcteril infections that are fatal in nature. Its domain is bacteria; Kingdom eubacteria; Phylum firmicutes; Class coccus, and Order bacillaless. The bacterium was first discovered in the 1980s and the scientists came together to contain it through the introduction of the penicillin antibiotics that were to see that its fatal effects are not felt. Over time there has been evolution on the part of this bacterium that has made it develop some structures that enables it to be resistant to the common antibiotics. This has led to invention and innovation that has led to the development of antibiotics of much strength like the methicillin to counter the S. aureas impacts on the human life. References Arumugam, S. (2012). Studies of effects of Flucloxacillin (antibiotic) on fertilization and early development of a sedentary polychaete Hydroids elegans. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 3(1), 616- 630. Cynthia, H. (2013). Bacterial Diseases: What are bacterial diseases? Healthgrades. Retrieved from http://www.healthgrades.com/conditions/bacterial-diseases Freeman-Cook, K.D., & freeman-Cook, L. (2005). Staphylococcus Aureus Infections (Deadly Diseases and Epidemics). New York, NY: Chelsea House Pub (L). Ian, K. (2010). S. aureus Structure and Pathogenicity. ASIG. Retrieved from http://asig.org.au/gram-positive-resistance/ NIH (2008). Antimicrobial Drug Resistance History. Retrieved from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/antimicrobialResistance/Examples/mrsa/Pages/history.as px Pubchem: Open Chemistry Database (n.d). Flucloxallin. Retrieved from http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Flucloxacillin#section=Top Rudd, H. D. & Ellen, E. S. (2008). The Evolution of Staphylococcus aureus. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 8(6), 747- 763. Read More