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

Citation
Ee. Udo et al., Enterotoxin production by coagulase-negative staphylococci in restaurant workers from Kuwait City may be a potential cause of food poisoning, J MED MICRO, 48(9), 1999, pp. 819-823
Citations number
39
Categorie Soggetti
Microbiology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
ISSN journal
00222615 → ACNP
Volume
48
Issue
9
Year of publication
1999
Pages
819 - 823
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-2615(199909)48:9<819:EPBCSI>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
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.