Staphylococcus Aureus: A Major Pathogen of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning that involves multiple etiologies is reported from developing as well as developed nations.Among the microbial causes, Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen of food poisoning that can occur in sporadic and epidemic form. It may cause life-threatening infections in children, the elderly, and immunocompromised persons. Staphylococcal food poisoning is responsible for 241,000 cases in the United States annually. A variety of foods, such as meat and meat products, milk and milk products, poultry, egg, fish, vegetable salad, and cream-filled pastries are implicated as a source of staphylococcal food poisoning. Unhygienic handling of food is considered an important source of S. aureus contamination. Enterotoxins produced by S. aureus play a vital role in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal food poisoning. Due to ingestion of preformed toxins in the food, the incubation period of staphylococcal food poisoning is very short. The main symptoms of staphylococcal food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. The detection of enterotoxin is highly imperative for the investigation of staphylococcal food poisoning. Most of the patients do not require any treatment as the disease is generally self-limiting and normally resolves within 24–48 h after onset. Hygienic production of food and education of food handlers about the principles of food hygiene are the main strategies for the prevention of staphylococcal food poisoning. The objective of this communication is to delineate the growing significance of S. aureus as a leading cause of foodborne intoxication.