Staphylococci are those microorganisms that are widely distributed in nature. They live in the air, water, on the skin, as well as inside the body of humans and animals. Some strains of these microbes provoke the development in humans of such pathologies as phlegmon, respiratory catarrhs, as well as staphylococcal toxicosis, which is one of the most common types of food poisoning. The main cause of intoxication in this case is the ingestion of Staphylococcus aureus into the human body. This microorganism affects the systems and organs of the whole body, contributing to the development of serious complications.
Problem description
Staphylococcal toxicosis is an acute disease that occurs when eating food containing engerotoxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus. The optimal temperature for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms is twenty-two degrees Celsius. The toxin that accumulates in foods is resistant to acids and alkalis. The growth of microorganisms stops if the products contain more than 12% s alt, more than 60% sugar and its pH is less than 4.5.
The source of food contamination with staphylococci are people and animals. Most often, infection occurs by airborne droplets, as people who have staphylococcal diseases (tonsillitis or rhinitis) release them into the environment when coughing, sneezing or breathing. Pathogenic microorganisms are found in the body of animals that suffer from mastitis, and also have purulent diseases of the liver and other organs. For example, milk can be infected when a cow has udder mastitis. After drinking such milk, a person develops staphylococcal food toxicosis.
In some European countries, this pathology ranks second among all food poisoning, but not all victims go to a medical facility. In addition, it is not always possible to diagnose the disease, since the toxin enters the human body already in its finished form, so the pathology has a short incubation period.
Causes of poisoning
The causative agent of staphylococcal toxicosis is an enterotoxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus. In medicine, there are several types of such toxins. Pathogenic microorganisms can survive for a long time in frozen foods. Under favorable conditions, they multiply, producing toxins, in various foods, such as vegetables, fish, meat.
Many askthe question of which foods most often cause staphylococcal toxicosis. Milk has the best conditions for the existence of bacteria. It is this product that people most often poison. Curd products, cheeses, sour cream and feta cheese can also be infected. Quite often, the formation of enterotoxin occurs in custard confectionery products, which contain a small percentage of sugar. You can also get poisoned by meat products, which also act as a good environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria. At the same time, infection of meat often occurs during the life of the animal due to the inflammatory disease it has suffered.
Very often, the source of food staphylococcal toxicosis is canned fish. In this case, the taste and smell of the products do not change, as well as their appearance, so the person does not realize that the canned food is contaminated. According to the results of numerous studies, it became clear that foods that have undergone heat treatment are most often the cause of intoxication.
Risk factors
Also, staphylococcal toxicosis causes the development of the following:
- Bad hygiene.
- Violation of mucosal immunity and metabolic disorders.
- Disturbance in the hormonal system.
- Circulatory disorder in peripheral vessels.
Most often, pathology is diagnosed in the summer, when pathogenic microorganisms multiply at a high rate.
Symptoms and signs of pathology
Usually, staphylococcal toxicosis symptoms begin to show three hours after the intake of contaminated food in the body. Sometimes the pathology is asymptomatic, showing its first signs only after a few days. Poisoning develops rapidly. A person has severe pain in the stomach, vomiting is observed, body temperature rises. Poisoning is characterized by weakness and general malaise, lowering blood pressure, cold extremities. Diarrhea develops in 50% of cases. With timely treatment, the symptoms disappear by the end of the first day.
The main signs of pathology are:
- Pain syndrome in the abdomen.
- Loose stools.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Nausea accompanied by vomiting.
- Body aches, chills, malaise.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
In adults, staphylococcal toxicosis is easier than in children. In the latter case, various complications often develop. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in time to prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Diagnostic measures
Diagnosis of pathology is based on the study of the symptoms of the disease, the results of laboratory tests and epidemiological data. It is rather difficult to differentiate staphylococcal toxicosis with food poisoning and acute intestinal pathologies. Laboratory data play a big role here.
Feces and vomit are taken for researchmasses. Also, crops can be taken from the nose, rectum and pharynx. When staphylococcal toxicosis is diagnosed, food products are also examined for the presence of the infectious agent. The diagnosis is confirmed by the detection of the same type of staphylococcus aureus in affected individuals.
Treatment of disease
Treatment of the disease is symptomatic. The patient is placed in the infectious department. To eliminate toxins from the human body, the stomach is washed with a five percent solution of sodium bicarbonate, after which a saline laxative is prescribed. When the body is dehydrated, the doctor takes appropriate measures, which involve the introduction of intravenous sodium chloride solution with a five percent glucose solution.
In severe cases, the doctor prescribes the Trisol solution in combination with colloidal solutions. This method of treatment makes it possible to remove toxins from the body and restore microcirculation. Antibacterial therapy is not carried out in this case.
Forecast
The prognosis of the disease is favorable: with adequate treatment, the symptoms of the pathology disappear within a day. It is important to diagnose the disease in children in a timely manner, as it often causes serious complications. In some cases, in adults, the pathology resolves on its own within twelve hours after the first signs appear.
Prevention
Preventive measures should be aimed at eliminating the possibility of infectioninto food products. It is also important to timely identify people who have inflammatory purulent diseases of the skin, respiratory tract, in order to remove them from cooking. To this end, enterprises should take appropriate measures. Here, the sanitary regime, the rules of personal hygiene of employees must be observed, as well as classes aimed at gaining knowledge about the prevention of food poisoning.
Thus, the main methods of preventing poisoning include:
- Detecting vectors of infection in enterprises, removing them from work in confectionery and hot shops.
- Creating conditions to prevent the development of staphylococci in food by storing them at appropriate temperatures and reducing the time of implementation.
- Compliance with the recipe in the preparation of creams.
- Inventory sterilization.
Results
Staphylococcal toxicosis today is a common disease that is often diagnosed in the summer season. A good environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms are foods that contain a large amount of proteins and carbohydrates. Active accumulation of toxins occurs at a temperature of thirty to thirty-seven degrees Celsius in foods such as milk, custards, meat, fish, pasta and mashed potatoes. At the same time, the taste, color and smell of products do not change, people do not even realize that they can cause food poisoning.
Whenstaphylococcal toxicosis does not develop neurological disorders and rashes. Many patients recover spontaneously twelve hours after the onset of the first symptoms. In severe cases, hypotension and hypovolemia develop. Children are more susceptible to food poisoning. Their pathology manifests itself more strongly, often provoking the development of serious he alth complications. Therefore, it is important to follow all preventive measures to prevent food poisoning, and when the first signs appear, you must immediately contact a medical facility.
