Mouse Model of Staphylococcus aureus Skin Infection

Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections are abundant worldwide and many are caused by Staphylococcus aureus . Indeed, S . aureus is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections in the USA. Here, we describe a mouse model of skin and soft tissue infection induced by subcutaneous inoculation of S . aureus . This animal model can be used to investigate a number of factors related to the pathogenesis of skin and soft tissue infections, including strain virulence and the contribution of specifi c bacterial molecules to disease, and it can be employed to test the potential effectiveness of antibiotic therapies or vaccine candidates.