I am just now getting over a severe staph infection–symptoms include a reddened, swollen calf oozing water; nausea; dazed feeling; great loss of appetite. According to my doctor, the staphylococcus aureus bacteria regularly (and properly) inhabit the mouth, but do not belong anywhere else in or on the body. Did I hear right?
Staph is a normal member of the skin flora all over the skin and in the mouth and nasal passages - it’s not usually a problem until it gets under the skin - a common cause of serious infections is when people instinctively apply their own saliva to a small wound.
Everyone has staph epidermis colonizing their skins. About 20% of folks also have staph aureus, which often causes skin infections, colonizing their skin harmlessly. Over 30% of people in the US have nasal colonization with staph aureus.