Survey of staphylococcal enterotoxin genes, exfoliative toxin genes, and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 gene in non-Staphylococcus aureus species

The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of staphylococcal exotoxi n genes in staphylococci other than Staphylococcus aureus. Whereas for Stap hylococcus aureus a large spectrum of different exotoxins responsible for t oxin-mediated diseases has been described, only few and conflicting data ar e available regarding toxin production in all other staphylococcal species. A collection of clinical non-Staphylococcus aureus staphylococcal isolates were systematically screened for the presence of genes for toxic shock syn drome toxin 1, exfoliative toxins, and classical enterotoxins by using mult iplex polymerase chain reaction enzyme immunoassays. In a total of 461 isol ates of 18 different (sub)species derived from clinical specimens no toxin gene sequences were amplified. The results indicate that the occurrence of toxin genes involved in staphylococcal toxin-mediated diseases is at least very rare in human-derived isolates of non-Staphylococcus aureus species.