This disorder can be caused by toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The toxins are found in contaminated foods.
Staphylococcal enterotoxins are heat- resistant and are not inactivated by cooking. The incubation period for S. aureus food poisoning is between 2 and 4 hours (range 30 minutes to 8 hours).
The bacteria multiply in foods and produce toxins especially if food is kept at room temperature.
Staph food poisoning is characterized by a sudden start of nausea, vomiting, upset stomach and stomach cramps. Most people also have diarrhea. In more severe cases, dehydration, headache, muscle cramping, and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate may occur.
Staphylococcus aureus can also cause serious infections such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) or bacteremia. Bacteremia is the presence of viable bacteria in the circulating blood.
Typical contaminated foods include custard, cream-filled pastry, milk, processed meats, and fish. The bacteria are also present on the skin, so risk of an outbreak is high if food workers do not wash properly before touching food.
The best way to avoid food poisoning by Staph is to prevent food from being held at an unsafe temperature (between 40°F and 140°F) for more than 2 hours.
Characteristics of staphylococcal food poisoning
