Staph-ing the Skin with Bacteria

The composition of the bacteria resident on skin has recently been systematically probed by sequencing.

Kong and colleagues demonstrated a striking decline in the diversity of bacteria at sites of predilection for atopic dermatitis (AD) in children (the antecubital and popliteal fossae) during disease flares. At these sites, the investigators demonstrated a major elevation in the relative abundance of Staphylococcus (from 35% of bacterial genes to 90%), particularly S. aureus and S. epidermidis, compared with control samples. Neither change in frequency nor flare severity correlated with S. aureus sequences found in the nares. Treatment with dilute bleach baths reduced S. aureus levels and increased bacterial diversity, thus reinforcing the …