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| The Bad Bug Book |
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1. Name of the Organism:
Staphylococcus aureus
S. aureus is a spherical bacterium (coccus) which on microscopic
examination appears in pairs, short chains, or bunched, grape-like
clusters. These organisms are Gram-positive. Some strains are capable
of producing a highly heat-stable protein toxin that causes illness in
humans.
2. Name of Acute Disease:
Staphylococcal food poisoning (staphyloenterotoxicosis;
staphyloenterotoxemia) is the name of the condition caused by the
enterotoxins which some strains of S. aureus produce.
3. Nature of the Disease:
The onset of symptoms in staphylococcal food poisoning is usually
rapid and in many cases acute, depending on individual susceptibility to
the toxin, the amount of contaminated food eaten, the amount of toxin in
the food ingested, and the general health of the victim. The most
common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, retching, abdominal
cramping, and prostration. Some individuals may not always
demonstrate all the symptoms associated with the illness. In more
severe cases, headache, muscle cramping, and transient changes in
blood pressure and pulse rate may occur. Recovery generally takes two
days, However, it us not unusual for complete recovery to take three
days and sometimes longer in severe cases.
Infective dose--a toxin dose of less than 1.0 microgram in contaminated
food will produce symptoms of staphylococcal intoxication. This toxin
level is reached when S. aureus populations exceed 100,000 per gram.
Staphylococcus aureus
S. aureus is a spherical bacterium (coccus) which on microscopic
examination appears in pairs, short chains, or bunched, grape-like
clusters. These organisms are Gram-positive. Some strains are capable
of producing a highly heat-stable protein toxin that causes illness in
humans.
2. Name of Acute Disease:
Staphylococcal food poisoning (staphyloenterotoxicosis;
staphyloenterotoxemia) is the name of the condition caused by the
enterotoxins which some strains of S. aureus produce.
3. Nature of the Disease:
The onset of symptoms in staphylococcal food poisoning is usually
rapid and in many cases acute, depending on individual susceptibility to
the toxin, the amount of contaminated food eaten, the amount of toxin in
the food ingested, and the general health of the victim. The most
common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, retching, abdominal
cramping, and prostration. Some individuals may not always
demonstrate all the symptoms associated with the illness. In more
severe cases, headache, muscle cramping, and transient changes in
blood pressure and pulse rate may occur. Recovery generally takes two
days, However, it us not unusual for complete recovery to take three
days and sometimes longer in severe cases.
Infective dose--a toxin dose of less than 1.0 microgram in contaminated
food will produce symptoms of staphylococcal intoxication. This toxin
level is reached when S. aureus populations exceed 100,000 per gram.
| The United States Food and Drug Administration's Bad Bug Book: Staphylococcus aureus |