STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS AND SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS PRESENT IN FOOD IMPLICATED IN FOOD POISONING

Two hundred-eighty people became ill with diarrhea, vomiting, fever, c ramps, and headache 6 to 15 hours after consuming potato salad at a re staurant in Brasilia, Brazil, on September 3, 1993. Both Staphylococcu s aureus (2.1 x 10(6)/g) and Salmonella enteritidis were isolated from the potato salad, the only food remaining from the dinner. Because ot her food poisoning agents were not present in the potato salad and oth er foods consumed at the dinner were not likely suspects for food pois oning because of estimated low attack rates, it was concluded that the illnesses could have been due to the staphylococci and Salmonella con taminating the potato salad. The symptoms overlap those of salmonellos is and staphylococcal food poisoning, except for fever which seldom oc curs in the former. The time limit is within the range for salmonellos is, with 6 hours normally being the longer time limit for staphylococc al food poisoning. The staphylococci may have come from the food handl ers and the S. enteritidis from the eggs used in preparing the potato salad dressing. Salmonellosis from eggs have occurred in other countri es, with S. enteritidis being present inside the eggs. The staphylococ ci were not examined for the production of enterotoxin nor was the foo d examined for the presence of enterotoxin. On examination, several of the food handlers in the restaurant were colonized with enterotoxigen ic staphylococci. This is important information because most staphyloc occal food poisoning outbreaks result fi om contamination of the food by the food handlers.