Staph aureus food poisoning

Definition:

An illness that results from eating food contaminated by a toxin produced by staph aureus bacteria.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Staph aureus food poisoning is often caused when a food handler contaminates food products such as desserts, salads, or baked goods (especially custards, mayonnaise, and cream-filled or topped desserts) that are served or stored at room or refrigerator temperature. The bacteria multiplies rapidly in the food, and a large colony of bacteria may be present without evidence of food spoilage. Risk factors include ingestion of food prepared by a person with a skin infection, ingestion of food kept at room temperature, ingestion of improperly prepared food, and symptoms occurring in persons eating the same food. Symptoms usually appear within 4 to 6 hours. The incidence is 6 out of 100,000 people.