What is the Difference Between Strep and Staph Infection

The key difference between strep and staph infection is that strep infection is a bacterial infection caused due to Streptococcus bacteria, while staph infection is a bacterial infection caused due to Staphylococcus bacteria.

Bacteria are single-cell organisms. Most bacteria are not harmful. But some bacteria cause infections. Bacterial infections can affect the skin, throat, lung, heart, brain, bowel, and other parts of the body. Many symptoms are mild, but some symptoms are severe. Some examples of bacterial infections include whooping cough, strep throat, ear infection, and urinary tract infection. Strep and staph infections are two types of bacterial infections in humans.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Strep Infection
3. What is Staph Infection
4. Similarities – Strep and Staph Infection
5. Strep vs Staph Infection in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Strep vs Staph Infection

What is Strep Infection?

Strep infection is a bacterial infection caused due to Streptococcus bacteria. Streptococci are gram-positive aerobic organisms that cause many diseases. There are three different types of Streptococci as alpha haemolytic Streptococci, beta haemolytic Streptococci, and gamma haemolytic Streptococci. Many Streptococci have virulent factors, including streptolysin, DNAases, and hyaluronidase, which help tissue destruction and spread of disease. A few strains also make exotoxins trigger, releasing cytokines leading to shock, organs failure, and death. Alpha haemolytic Streptococci include Streptococcus pneumoniae and Viridians Streptococcci. Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause sinusitis, middle ear infection, pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia. Viridians Streptococcci can cause endocarditis. Beta haemolytic Streptococci include group A and group B Streptococcci. They can cause strep throat, scarlet fever, impetigo, and pneumomia. Gamma haemolytic Streptococci include group D Streptococci. They can cause endocarditis and urinary tract infections.

The common symptoms of strep infections include tiredness, weakness, fever, weight loss, respiratory problems, problems with heart function, stiff neck, headache, confusion, etc. Diagnosis can be made through physical examination, tissue biopsy, culturing, rapid antigens test, and blood tests. The treatment is mainly done through the administration of antibiotics such as penicillin and amoxicillin.

What is Staph Infection?

Staph infection is a bacterial infection caused due to Staphylococcus bacteria. They are commonly found in the human skin and nose. Normally, they cause minor skin infections. Staph infection can turn deadly if the bacteria invade deeper into the body and enter the bloodstream, joints, bones, and lungs. The symptoms vary from minor skin infections to lethal endocarditis. Skin infections cause boils, impetigo, cellulitis, and scalded skin syndrome. The symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and low blood pressure. Bacteremia causes infections in the lung, heart, and brain. Moreover, Staphylococcus causes toxic shock syndrome. The symptoms of toxic shock syndrome include high fever, rash, confusion, muscle ache, diarrhoea, and stomach pain.

Septic arthritis is another disease due to strep infection. The symptoms of septic arthritis include joint swelling and severe pain. The diagnosis can be made through physical examination, tissue biopsy, blood test, echocardiogram, etc. The treatment for staph infection includes antibiotics such as cephalosporins, cefazolin, nafcillin, oxacillin, vancomycin, daptomycin, and telavancin. For skin infections, wound drainage is recommended. If staph infection is due to a device in the body, it is recommended to remove the particular device.

What are the Similarities Between Strep and Staph Infection?

• Strep and staph infections are two types of bacterial infections in humans.
• Both bacterial infections are caused by gram-positive bacteria.
• These bacterial infections are caused by opportunistic bacteria.
• They can be cured by the administration of specific antibiotics.

What is the Difference Between Strep and Staph Infection?

Strep infection is a bacterial infection caused due to Streptococcus bacteria, while staph infection is a bacterial infection caused due to Staphylococcus bacteria. Thus, this is the key difference between strep and staph infection. Furthermore, the common causative agents of strep infection are Streptococcus pneumonia, Viridians Streptococcci, group A, group B, and group D Streptococcci. On the other hand, the common causative agents of staph infection are Staphylacoccus aureus, Staphylacoccus epidermidis, Staphylacoccus saprophyticus, and Staphylacoccus Lugdunensis.

The below infographic presents the differences between strep and staph infection in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Strep vs Staph Infection

Strep and staph infections are two types of bacterial infections in humans. Strep infection is caused by Streptococcus bacteria, while staph infection is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria. So, this is the key difference between strep and staph infection.

Reference:

1. Bush, Larry M. “Streptococcal Infections – Infections.” MSD Manual Consumer Version, MSD Manuals.
2. “Staph Infections.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Strep Throat” By Mp3car – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

2. “Staph Infection!” By ⊙ ☂︎♙₪୬〰⋀ℵ⊃△ ⊙ (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr