The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 48, Issue 9 819-823, Copyright © 1999 by Society for General Microbiology
Enterotoxin production by coagulase-negative staphylococci in restaurant workers from Kuwait City may be a potential cause of food poisoning
E. E. Udo, M. A. Al-Bustan, L. E. Jacob and T. D. Chugh
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University. EDET@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were
isolated from the hands of food handlers in 50 restaurants in Kuwait City
and studied for the production of staphylococcal enterotoxins, toxic shock
syndrome toxin-1, slime and resistance to antimicrobial agents. One or a
combination of staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B or C were produced by 6% of
the isolates, with the majority producing enterotoxin B. Toxic shock
syndrome toxin-1 was detected in c. 7% of the isolates; 47% produced slime.
In all, 21% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline and 11.2% were
resistant to propamidine isethionate and mercuric chloride. There was no
correlation between slime and toxin production or between slime production
and antibiotic resistance. The detection of enterotoxigenic CNS on food
handlers suggests that such strains may contribute to food poisoning if
food is contaminated by them and held in conditions that allow their growth
and elaboration of the enterotoxins. It is recommended that enterotoxigenic
CNS should not be ignored when investigating suspected cases of
staphylococcal food poisoning.
