Enterotoxin production by coagulase-negative staphylococci in restaurant workers from Kuwait City may be a potential cause of food poisoning

Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were isola ted from the hands of food handlers in 50 restaurants in Kuwait City and st udied for the production of staphylococcal enterotoxins, toxic shock syndro me toxin-1, slime and resistance to antimicrobial agents. One or a combinat ion of staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B or C were produced by 6% of the iso lates, with the majority producing enterotoxin B. Toxic shock syndrome toxi n-1 was detected in c. 7% of the isolates; 47% produced slime. In all, 21% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline and 11.2% were resistant to propamidine isethionate and mercuric chloride. There was no correlation bet ween slime and toxin production or between slime production and antibiotic resistance. The detection of enterotoxigenic CNS on food handlers suggests that such strains may contribute to food poisoning if food is contaminated by them and held in conditions that allow their growth and elaboration of t he enterotoxins. It is recommended that enterotoxigenic CNS should not be i gnored when investigating suspected cases of staphylococcal food poisoning.