title: Prevalence of Enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus Isolated From Chicken Nugget in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus is considered as one of the most important cause of food poisoning that manifests with gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and vomiting. Its complications usually occur when bacterial virulence genes are produced. The most important virulence factors are cell-associated components, exoenzymes, exotoxins, enterotoxins, and enterotoxin-like toxins.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to study the presence of S. aureus and its virulence factors in chicken nuggets in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally, 420 chicken nuggets from five brands were collected from Isfahan and Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari provinces, Iran. Samples were cultured and the positive results were studied using ELISA and PCR for detection of classical staphylococcal enterotoxins and sea-sej virulence genes, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that 27 (6.42%) of 420 samples were contaminated with S. aureus with bacteria concentration between 6.1 × 10(3) to 8.4 × 10(1)/mL. Totally, 33.33% of isolates produced SEA, 4.16% SEB, 12.50% SEC, 8.33% SED, 12.50% SEA + SEC, and 12.50% SEA + SED. The most commonly detected genes were sea (25%), sea + seg (8.33%), sec (12.50%), sea + sed (12.50%), and sea + sec + sej (12.50%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S. aureus can easily contaminate the chicken nugget and this contamination is usually associated with significant presences of virulence genes. Consumption of these nuggets certainly is associated with gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, some food safety and quality standards should be applied and performed in most of the Iranian food units to control growth of S. aureus and its virulence factors.
authors.affiliation: College of Agriculture, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hajar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Madahi
authors.affiliation: College of Agriculture, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rostami
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers and Elites Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Safarpoor Dehkordi
keywords: Chicken nugget; Iran; Staphylococcus aureus; Virulence Factors