From commensal to consumer: Staphylococcus aureus toxins, diseases, and detection methods

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium capable of causing a wide array of infections. Generally a commensal organism, S. aureus encodes several virulence mechanisms that contribute to disease progression. This review highlights toxins as a secreted virulence factor by S. aureus, the diseases that manifest as a result, and the methods used to detect them. In particular, the advantages and limitations of current toxin detection methods are discussed.