Some health workers at Health NZ public hospitals and services are planning to strike on Thursday 23 October to 7am on Friday 24 October.
Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only. For more information:
Some health workers at Health NZ public hospitals and services are planning to strike on Thursday 23 October to 7am on Friday 24 October.
Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only. For more information:
Staphylococcus aureus (also called Staph aureus or Staph) is a type of germ (bacteria) that commonly lives on healthy skin. Some people carry Staph in moist areas on their body such as their nostrils, armpits and groin.
Staph is usually harmless and not noticeable. But if the skin is very dry, scratched or grazed, the germ can multiply and cause skin infections.
The infected skin is generally red, swollen and painful. Sometimes there can be pus and an unpleasant smell. Types of infections include:
See your healthcare provider if the infected area or sore:
You may be prescribed antibiotics.
If you have repeated staph skin infections, you may need to try to remove the staph from your skin. This is called decolonisation.
How often you do this depends on how many people are in your household and how dirty things get. For example, a family of 8 in a 3-bedroom house should vacuum and clean every second day. An older couple may only need to vacuum and clean once every 2 weeks.
If you keep getting Staph infections, your healthcare provider may recommend that you try and get rid of the bacteria from your skin. This is known as decolonisation. Your household contacts will need to be treated at the same time.
This content was written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. It has been adapted for Health Information and Services.