katch wreck"Here, we show that #Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial #pathogen associated with itchy skin diseases, directly activates pruriceptor sensory #neurons to drive itch. Epicutaneous S. aureus exposure causes robust itch and scratch-induced damage. By testing multiple isogenic bacterial mutants for virulence factors, we identify the S. aureus serine #protease V8 as a critical mediator in evoking spontaneous #itch and #alloknesis."