Is enteric Staphylococcus a causative agent of skeletal muscle abscesses in children?

Abstract

In a study of 46 children under the age of 10 years treated for pyogenic muscle abscesses, stool culture revealed Staphylococcus aureus in association with malnutrition, gastrointestinal infections and weaning. Naturally occurring protease-inhibitors were associated with the diets of these children along with poor standards of food hygiene. A study on 60 healthy age-matched controls showed a significant increase in the stool culture yields of S. aureus during weaning onto a traditional solid diet. It is probable that the bacterial overgrowth in the bowel in these states is associated with the development of muscle abscesses caused by this organism.