Staphylococcus aureus Carriage and HIV-1 Disease: Association With Increased Mucocutaneous Infections as well as Deep Soft-Tissue Infections and Sepsis

Cutaneous colonization by Staphylococcus aureus has been found to be significantly increased in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). The incidence of S aureu s carriage was shown to stay relatively constant with disease progression, Walter Reed (WR) stage 1 through 6. 1 Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, deep soft-tissue infections, and pneumonia have all been frequently reported in patients with advancing HIV-1 disease, and S aureus infections, often undiagnosed premortem, were seen in greater than 50% of the patients from one autopsy study. 2 Trauma, intravenous catheters (peripheral and central lines), intravenous drug abuse, and lymphedema are considered to be risk factors. As part of a study on the natural history of cutaneous disease in HIV-1 disease, patients were followed up prospectively to determine if there was a correlation with infection by S aureus and the stage of disease. Patients and Methods. A total of 646 HIV-1—positive patients were