What is the Difference Between Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus

The main difference between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus is that virulence factors and additional gene products make Staphylococcus pathogenic whereas most non-pathogenic Staphylococcus resides normally on the skin and mucous membranes of humans and other animals.

Pathogenic and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus are Gram-positive, spherical-shaped bacteria that form grape-like clusters. The genus Staphylococcus contains 40 species of bacteria.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Pathogenic Staphylococcus
– Definition, Characteristics, Importance
2. What is Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus
– Definition, Characteristics, Importance
3. Similarities Between Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus, Pathogenic Staphylococcus

What is Pathogenic Staphylococcus

Pathogenic Staphylococcus species are the Staphylococcus species that are capable of infecting humans and other animals to cause diseases. Generally, Staphylococcus bacteria live in the skin and the nose of humans and other animals. However, they can enter the body through cuts and abrasions, and inside the body, these bacteria spread to body systems and organs. Once bacteria are identified as causing illness, treatments often involve prescribing antibiotics and the drainage of the infected area. However, many bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and only the body’s own immune system can fight against the disease.

Figure 1: S. aureus

Some examples of infectious Staphylococcus species are S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus, S. lugdunensis, S. schleiferi, and S. caprae. Various virulence factors of bacteria can aid in bacterial infections. In general, virulence factors are the molecules that assist the bacterium to colonize the host at the cellular level. When bacteria infect organs of the body, they produce toxins that may cause cardiac arrest.

What is Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus

Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus species are bacterial species that do not cause infections in the genus of Staphylococci. Generally, Staphylococcus is a gram-positive, spherical-shaped bacteria that form grape-like colonies. There are around 40 species of Staphylococcus that can be pathogenic or non-pathogenic. In general, Staphylococcus species reside on the skin and mucus membranes of humans and animals. Staphylococcus forms a small component of the soil microbiome.

Figure 2: Staphylococcus

Moreover, Staphylococcus species are either aerobic or facultatively anaerobic. All species of Staphylococcus can grow in bile salts. Staphylococcus species colonize the skin and the upper respiratory tract of humans and animals. Some examples are S. arlattae living in chickens, goats, and marine sponges, S. auricularis which lives in deer, dogs, humans, and S. borealis which lives in humans, and cattle.

Similarities Between Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus

• Pathogenic and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus are two types of Staphylococcus
• Moreover, they are gram-positive, spherical in shape, and form grape-like bacterial colonies.
• They belong to the family Staphylococcaceae from the order Bacillales.
• Generally, they are facultative anaerobic bacteria that can live aerobically and anaerobically.

Difference Between Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Staphylococcus

Definition

Pathogenic Staphylococcus refers to the Staphylococcus bacteria that can cause diseases while non-pathogenic Staphylococcus refers to the Staphylococcus bacteria that do not cause diseases.

Importance

Pathogenic Staphylococcus causes diseases while non-pathogenic Staphylococcus does not cause diseases.  

Virulence

Virulence factors and additional gene products make Staphylococcus pathogenic while most non-pathogenic Staphylococcus resides normally on the skin and mucous membranes of humans and other animals.

Coagulase Test

S. aureus is coagulase positive while other Staphylococcus species are mainly coagulase negative.

Examples

Examples of pathogenic Staphylococcus include S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus, S. lugdunensis, S. schleiferi, and S. caprae while the examples of non-pathogenic Staphylococcus include S. arlattae, S. auricularis, S. borealis, S. capitis, etc.  

Conclusion

In brief, pathogenic Staphylococcus and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus are two types of Staphylococcus bacteria. Some examples of pathogenic Staphylococcus bacterial species include S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus, S. lugdunensis, S. schleiferi, and S. caprae. Significantly, pathogenic Staphylococcus species cause infections due to their virulence factors and other additional gene products. However, most of the Staphylococcus species live in the skin and the mucous membranes of humans and other animals. Therefore, they lack such virulence factors to infect the host. Therefore, the main difference between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Staphylococcus is the ability to infect and cause diseases in humans.       

References:

1. “Staphylococcal Infection.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Sept. 2022.
2. “Staphylococcus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Sept. 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Staphylococcus aureus appearance on agar plates” By HanseN – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “20101017 231210 Staphylococcus” By Bob Blaylock – Own Work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia