Q: How long can staphylococcus aureus be present in the body
before defining symptoms, such as swelling, tenderness and
redness, become evident? Is it possible to contract a staph
infection from surgery 10 months ago, but only display
increasing tenderness and swelling before the rupture of the
area? If so, can anything be done to prevent tissue damage at
the rupture site? A: The short answer to your question is yes,
but 10 months is indeed a long time and this occurs very rarely.
There are four main types of infections caused by the
staphylococcus aureus bacterium (staph infections): involvement
of the skin and soft tissue; infection in the bone
(osteomyelitis); infection in the bloodstream (bacteremia); and
toxic shock syndrome. From your letter, it's more likely that
you may have had a very small amount of bacteria either in the
bone or soft tissue that was able to survive and eventually grow
over 10 months. If you were taking antibiotics following surgery
and did not complete recommended treatment, that m