Nasal carriage of enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus among restaurant workers in Kuwait City.
Enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of staphylococcal food poisoning. To determine the incidence of carriage of enterotoxin-producing S. aureus in a sample of the healthy population in Kuwait city, restaurant workers in the city were screened for nasal carriage of S. aureus. 26.6% of 500 workers studied carried S. aureus and 86.6% of the S. aureus produced staphylococcal enterotoxins. 28% produced enterotoxin A, 28.5% produced enterotoxin B, 16.4% produced enterotoxin C and 3.5% produced enterotoxin D. Ten isolates produced both enterotoxins A and B or A and C. 73% of the isolates were untypeable with standard phages. However, 17.1%, 3% and 6% belonged to phage groups I, II and III respectively. The results demonstrated a high level of enterotoxigenic S. aureus carriage among restaurant workers which although lower than that reported for the general population and hospital workers may be important in the restaurant industry.
al Bustan
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MA
Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait.
Udo
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EE
Chugh
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TD
D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D002353:Carrier State; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D012147:Restaurants; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004768:Enterotoxins