What is Staphylococcus aureus?
Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. There are many people who carry the bacteria without getting sick from it. When symptoms do occur, they usually appear within hours in the form of vomiting or diarrhea. Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria are found on the human body in several ways:
- For 30% on mucous membranes in the throat, throat and skin
- In boils, pimples and other skin infections
Spread occurs mainly through hands, but also clothing, air, toys or bedding. Staphylococcus bacteria can be transferred to food via the hands.
Food poisoning symptoms
The toxins called Enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus Aureus cause food poisoning. Generally the symptoms are quite mild, but is some cases can suffer serious consequences. A variant that is difficult to control is called MRSA because it is insensitive to antibiotics. Staphylococcus bacteria can cause various skin infections or food poisoning. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and nausea in food poisoning and usually occur within 2 to 6 hours.
More serious symptoms include headaches, muscle cramps and temporary changes in heart rate and blood pressure. On average, recovery takes 2 days but it can certainly take 3 days or longer in severe cases.
Fighting Staphylococcus Aureus
There are several ways to prevent infection with Staphylococcus bacteria:
- Hygiene – Wash your hands regularly before and after preparing food
- Cool – Store food in the refrigerator and allow products to cool quickly
- Cross-contamination – Prevent cross-contamination by not bringing raw food in contact with prepared food