Date of Completion
Spring 5-1-2023
Thesis Advisor(s)
Andrei Alexandrescu
Honors Major
Molecular and Cell Biology
Disciplines
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity | Genetic Phenomena | Medical Immunology | Medical Microbiology | Medical Molecular Biology | Public Health
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen of grave concern to global public health. The pathogen has shown an unrivaled propensity to obtain resistance to nearly every antibiotic drug approved and prescribed for its treatment. This review will provide an overview of the history and evolution of S. aureus, including an analysis of its transition from the nosocomial setting to the community and the factors contributing to the species’ innate pathogenicity. This paper will also discuss the molecular mechanisms by which resistance to a wide range of popular antibiotic substances was obtained and will provide insight into the evolutionary patterns exhibited by S. aureus, which helped investigators to pinpoint the first drug-resistant isolate. Finally, this review will touch on the clinical implications of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus by summarizing epidemiological surveillance and control programs implemented worldwide and current drug development research.
Recommended Citation
Kleinbeck, Anders, "A Review of Staphylococcus aureus Pathogenesis, Global Impact, and the Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant Clones" (2023). Honors Scholar Theses. 1029.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/1029