Staphylococcus Aureus Food Poisoning: An Overview

Staphylococcal (staph) food poisoning occurs when you eat something contaminated with toxins produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. This may occur because a preparer did not wash their hands before cooking your meal or you've eaten something that is not cooked properly after being handled.

Staph food poisoning causes distressing gastrointestinal symptoms, including significant vomiting and nausea. It is an extremely common infection, with at least 240,000 cases reported each year in the United States. Fortunately, the vast majority of people recover from staph food poisoning without complications.

This article explains the causes and symptoms of staphylococcal food poisoning, along with how it is diagnosed, treated, and prevented.

Symptoms of Staph Food Poisoning 

Symptoms of staph food poisoning can include:

• Explosive vomiting and nausea
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain

Symptoms start within 30 minutes to eight hours of eating the contaminated food and last about one day.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food poisoning symptoms that are considered severe and in need of medical evaluation include:

• Signs of dehydration
• Fever above 102 degrees F
• Frequent vomiting that does not allow you to keep down fluids
• Diarrhea that lasts for more than three days
• Blood in your stool

How Does Staphylococcus Aureus Make You Sick?

Staph food poisoning is a foodborne illness that stems from Staph aureus bacteria. Symptoms don't come from the bacteria themselves, but rather from the toxins they release into foods that are left out at room temperature.

The bacteria is typically first introduced to food either from dirty hands, coughing, or sneezing onto foods. If food is left to sit out after it's contaminated, the organism multiplies, resulting in high enough levels of toxins to cause symptoms.

As such, foods that aren't cooked after handling (such as cold cuts and baked goods) pose an increased risk of infection if consumed after being mishandled and contaminated.

Although bacteria can be killed during cooking (or re-warming food), toxins cannot as they are resistant to heat. Unfortunately, there is very little you can do to avoid this foodborne illness aside from taking standard food safety precautions.

Diagnosing Staph Food Poisoning

Most people only begin to suspect staph food poisoning after they learn that other people they dined with also have it. By the time you realize you have the infection, you're likely already experiencing symptoms.

While lab testing can detect and confirm the presence of staph bacteria or toxins in vomit, stool, or foods, these tests usually aren't ordered unless there is a current outbreak.

How you feel and your recent dining history should be all that's needed to come to the conclusion that you have food poisoning, and you can usually make that call safely on your own unless your symptoms are severe.

In the latter case, see your healthcare provider. And while related death is very rare, it occurs more often in the elderly, infants, and other individuals who have weakened immune systems, so a medical evaluation in these individuals is also advised.

Treatment

Staph food poisoning can most often be self-treated. This mainly involves staying hydrated, controlling your fever (if any), and waiting things out.

However, if you suspect you have staph food poisoning and are experiencing severe symptoms, a healthcare provider may recommend additional treatments including medication to help ease nausea and vomiting. In some cases, IV fluids may be recommended to relieve dehydration if your case is particularly severe.

The toxins in staph-contaminated foods are not affected by antibiotics, so these drugs are not useful for staph-related food poisoning.

Prevention

While staph food poisoning can cause severe illness, it's also preventable. Use safe cooking and dining practices. Don’t drink unpasteurized milk, and don’t eat food that has been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours (when in doubt, just take a pass). Lastly, be sure to always wash your hands frequently.

Summary

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium found in foods that releases illness-causing toxins. This foodborne illness is extremely common and rarely causes severe complications. The infection develops after eating a raw or improperly cooked food that is contaminated with the virus.

Symptoms may include vomiting and diarrhea. Although these symptoms usually self-resolve, they can lead to dehydration, which may require hospitalization in severe cases. Staph aureus can't always be prevented, although you can reduce your risk by practicing safe cooking and dining practices.