| Abstrakt: |
In August 1994, an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred among persons who had eaten food from a fundraiser in a New Mexico community. Twenty-five persons who experienced nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or abdominal cramps were identified among 110 persons who had eaten food from the fundraiser (attack rate: 23 percent). Epidemiologic, bacteriologic, and environmental evidence suggested that taco meat contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus was the cause of the outbreak, All 25 case patients had eaten tacos. Large amounts of S. aureus (>106 organisms/gram) were detected in several taco samples. Staphylococcal isolates from food samples were enterotoxigenic, and preformed enterotoxin was detected in a taco sample. Review of food-handling procedures revealed that one batch of cooked taco meat was left at room temperature for four hours before being refrigerated, providing sufficient time and temperature for bacterial growth and the production of enterotoxin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
