Staphylococcus aureus

What is S. aureus?

S. aureus or Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria found mainly on the skin and in the nose in humans and animals. These bacteria do not cause disease until they penetrate the skin or mucous membranes. The consequences vary. It can cause a superficial skin infection that heals spontaneously over time, and it can also enter the bloodstream. Many people are more familiar with the bacteria because of the variant MRSA. Those letters stand for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. That means this bacterium is resistant not only to one antibiotic, but even to several antibiotics at the same time. We call that multi-resistant. Treatment is difficult. Prevention is better than curing..

Staphylococcus aureus symptoms

These bacteria can cause all kinds of different infections with all kinds of different symptoms. Skin infections can take the form of impetigo, pimples or inflamed cuticles. Invasive infections (i.e., deeper in the body) with Staphylococcus aureus include blood poisoning, abscesses and bone and pneumonia. Like E. coli bacteria, certain types of S. aureus bacteria can produce toxins or poisons. In the bloodstream, this causes various problems such as toxic shock syndrome and food poisoning. The same pathologies apply to animals. In the livestock industry, we often see udder inflammation or mastitis among cows. Inflammation of the joints is common in pigs and chickens.

Staphylococcus aureus in the food industry and livestock farming

Food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus is quite common. As a food producer, it is therefore wise to include this bacterium in quality control. Moreover, like E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it is an indicator. The probability of multiple harmful bacteria is quite high. If biofilm in piping systems is the cause, there are also viruses, fungi and yeasts that pose a threat to your product quality and the consumer.

For animal welfare and production, it is wise to prevent infection with MRSA bacteria as much as possible. Mastitis costs dairy farmers a lot of money. Joint infections that cannot be cured eventually mean culling animals. The bacteria can be spread by direct contact, through drinking water and even through the air or dust. Unlike many other bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus also survives well in dry environments. Good hygiene is a priority. This includes disinfection of the animals themselves (udders of dairy cattle), enclosures and drinking water.

Watter kills S. aureus and prevents infection

When dairy farmers have to deal with Salmonella or mastitis, it costs a lot of money and worry. And sometimes there are no concerns, but a lot can be improved with a good system for clean drinking water. Poultry farmers don't notice much about chickens with Salmonella. Until there are new chickens in the house and production suddenly goes up.

In food processing and manufacturing plants, piping systems with process water are also a place where bacteria will attach to surfaces. Apart from the public health hazards that arise when contaminated products are eaten, bacteria promote the spoilage process. In other words, bacteria shorten the shelf life of your products.

Watter is a system that converts water and salt into disinfectant by electrolysis. The disinfectant contains the active ingredient HOCl. Thanks to this variety, the disinfectant has broad efficacy and the dosage can remain low. These substances free the water from microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus. The low dosages of the disinfectants makes Watter durable in use. Furthermore, the disinfectant is also biodegradable and therefore suitable as a disinfectant for drinking water for animals or process water in the food industry.

Try Watter in the battle against germs.

Examples of successful applications of Watter:

• Mulder Cheese Farm no longer has biofilm in the cows' drinking water troughs. Read more.
• Collall guarantees quality of water-based paints and adhesives. Read more.
• Livestock farmer Gert Altena achieved 40 weaned piglets per sow through clean drinking water. Read more.
• Van Maanen poultry increased its production and no longer needs antibiotics. Read more.

We believe in our product. Not only because of these success stories, but also because of the tests that prove it conclusively. Watter is therefore officially registered on the European Article 95 list for active substances (PT1-5). Watter is of great added value in fighting S. aureus and many other germs.