A case study of a massive staphylococcal food poisoning incident.
In the summer of 1998, approximately 8000 individuals gathered to celebrate a Catholic priest's ordination in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Within hours of food consumption, 4000 patients experienced acute gastroenteritis, and approximately 2000 (50%) overwhelmed Emergency Departments of 26 local hospitals. Of the triaged patients, 396 ( approximately 20%) required subsequent admission, and of these patients, 81 ( approximately 20%) were admitted to intensive care units. A total of 16 ( approximately 20% of those admitted to the ICU) patients progressed on to develop irreversible multi-system shock and expired while hospitalized. The trace-back investigation implicated food preparers who were culture positive for enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus as the source of contamination. This study provides information on the magnitude and severity of oral exposure to Staphylococcal enterotoxin.
Do Carmo
Luiz Simeão
LS
Fundação Ezequiel Dias-Lab. de Enterotoxinas, Bairro Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Cummings
Christiano
C
Linardi
Valter Roberto
VR
Dias
Ricardo Souza
RS
De Souza
Josélia Maria
JM
De Sena
Maria José
MJ
Dos Santos
Deise Aparecida
DA
Shupp
Jeffrey W
JW
Pereira
Renata Karla Peres
RK
Jett
Marti
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004768:Enterotoxins; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013202:Staphylococcal Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*
D004768:Enterotoxins