view: Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, coccus-shaped facultative anaerobe and a member of the Staphylococcaceae family and Bacillales order (Figure 1). S. aureus is frequently part of the skin flora found in the nose and on skin. It can, however, cause a wide range of illnesses from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo, and scalded skin syndrome, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and toxic shock syndrome. Infections of the blood can carry the bacteria to various deep tissues, including bones, joints, organs, and the respiratory system. Furthermore, S. aureus is catalase-positive and mannitol-positive. A coagulase test determines pathogenic from non-pathogenic staphylocci, in which S. aureus would test positive.