This is short for Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, the two types that are likely to cause disease. They are gram-positive, nonmotile bacteria that are aerobic-unless they need to be anaerobic. Staph of various types are responsible for boils and carbuncles; they may be involved in impetigo, toxic shock syndrome, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and urinary tract infections; they stay around hospitals and veterinary clinics waiting to get you. They are also a normal part of the mouth, throat, and skin flora in a third to a half of all of us, causing no problems, but just waiting. Staph has always been with us-some even eat our antibiotics.
An abbreviation for staphylococcus is “staph.”