Food Intoxication: Staphylococcal Poisoning

The symptoms of staphylococcal poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and prostration. While the symptoms last, suffering may be acute, but this is usually for period of only a few hours.

Intoxication are especially important because the preformed toxin may remain in the food if resistant to inactivation.

Diarrhea is uncommon in staphylococcal intoxication. Food poisoning strains of Staphylococcus aureus produce a heat stable enterotoxin that has a direct effect upon the central nervous system.

Generally, the patient recovers without complications. The incubations period after ingestion or eating food containing the toxin is from 1 to 7 hours, usually 3 tom 6 hrs.

Staphylococcal poisoning is often wrongly called ptomaine poisoning.

Ptomaine poisoning, may be developed from taking into the system food that is in a state of decomposition which produced a bacteria or it may be produced by taking wholesome food into the system in too large quantities.

Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus food poisoning is associated most frequently with coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus. It is the same bacterium that causes white-head pimples, infections, boils and carbuncles.

These cells are spherical or ovoid in shape, non motile and in liquid cultures, arrange themselves in grapelike clusters, in small groups, pairs, or in short chains.

They grow best in the presence of air but they will also grow in the absence of air. They will grow in media or in foods that contain as much as 10% salt. When these organisms grow in foods they produce a toxin that can be filtered away from the food and from the bacterial cells.

The toxin is not destroyed by cooking. Heating destroys competing microflora and denatures proteins for use by the staphylococcus. It also provides a favorable temperature, for the staphylococci initiate growth at 45 degree on a cooling food.

Staphylococcus food poisoning is usually associated with meat including beef, chicken, ham and other pork products and turkey.

If food not properly stored before consumption, however, staphylococcus may flourish and produce sufficient exotoxin to cause disease.
Food Intoxication: Staphylococcal Poisoning