Nandos gave me "Staphylococcus aurous" last night

LOL, don't you guys say loo?

I don't know where it comes from or if it's short for anything, it's just loo!

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of foodborne illness that is not covered in some epidemiologic surveillance programs. Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus cause staphylococcal food poisoning through production of heat-stable staphylococcal toxins. All people are believed to be susceptible to this type of bacterial intoxication. However, the intensity of the symptoms may vary related to the amount of contaminated food ingested and susceptibility of the individual to the toxin.

Symptoms and disease process
Onset of staphylococcal food poisoning symptoms ranges from 30 minutes to seven hours (the mean is two to four hours) after consumption of foods containing pre-formed toxins. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, prostration and diarrhea are common symptoms. Recovery usually takes about two days.

Staphylococcus aureus is also responsible for skin abscesses, pneumonia, bacteremia, endocarditis and toxic shock syndrome. These infections are not due to a foodborne source and typically require treatment with antibiotics and hospitalization.

Primary routes of transmission
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium found on the skin and in the noses of up to 50 percent of healthy people and animals. Staph aureus does not compete well with other organisms, so outbreaks are not usually associated with raw products where high numbers of other bacteria are present. The exception may be milk from mastitic cows, as Staph aureus is a cause of mastitis.

Typical foods associated with Staph aureus outbreaks include high-protein products that are handled during processing or preparation.

* Fermented meats and cheese may be implicated when fermentation does not proceed rapidly, although this is rare when commercial culture concentrates are used.
* Cream-filled bakery products are sometimes affected, since they are handled during introduction of the cream filling, and because the higher sugar content may inhibit growth of other organisms.
* Cooked poultry, egg and seafood products that are handled during preparation or are stored at improper temperatures prior to consumption have also been implicated in Staph aureus outbreaks.
* Dry pasta has been involved in outbreaks, as the dry dough is typically extruded at warm temperatures that are conducive to growth of Staph aureus, and because equipment is difficult to clean.


The toxins produced by Staph aureus are very heat stable. For example, even canned mushrooms have caused outbreaks. The mushrooms were stored in a brine solution when harvested, which inhibited growth of competitive flora. Toxin formed during storage prior to canning and remained active even after the canning process.

Control
Time and temperature control to prevent the growth of the organism is the primary control measure for Staph aureus. Products can be formulated to prevent growth as well. Personal hygiene is also important to help prevent product contamination from food handlers. It is important to note that heating food after toxin is formed will not be an effective control.

Temperature, pH and water activity limits for growth are broader than those for toxin production, and anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen) restricts toxin production further. For example, Staph aureus can grow in the range of 7 - 48°C, and toxin is produced from 10 - 48°C. The minimum water activity for growth is 0.83 aerobically and 0.90 anaerobically, while toxin is limited aerobically at 0.87 and anaerobically at 0.92. The pH range for growth is 4 - 10, while the lower toxin production limit is 4.5 aerobically and 5.0 anaerobically (International Commission on Microbiological Specifications of Foods, 1996).

Well, Chicken IS the main non human vector. Basically chicken can spread it to their eggs and processing the chickens incorrectly, or not cooking the eggs well enough will lead to salmonella. Unfortunately, there are careless "humans" that have NO care, etc... and they will facilitate the spread of salmonella to even CLEAN peanuts, etc... and some of that disease comes from "HUMANS"!!!!!! THAT is what caused the US PCA outbreak a year or two ago. One of my favorite products, that apparently was NOT affected, was one of the items PULLED! JUST because it had some peanuts!

Steve

Hey you're the one that brought up medical terminology dude. Just say you had the ****s then.

On the loo thing... nope not used across the pond. Not sure about Canada.

Sounds like IBS.

That is a hell of a story Gareth. Thanks for sharing. 8-/

Salmonella is only present in some chicken. It is basically a bacterial disease.
I don't know if it has to be as high as 325, but keeping it in lower temperatures, like below perhaps 165, will allow salmonella to thrive and generate toxins, like what derek was talking about. In such a case, it is better to just throw the food out, and bleach any products it contacted.

The disease is ALSO spread through fecal matter.

40 degrees F is cold enough to severely retard growth of the bacteria. It may not kill it, and won't get rid of any toxins, but it will severly slow down growth. 40f is around what a refrigerator would provide. Of course, I am talking about 40F! That is only 8 degrees above freezing. 40C would be enough to give salmonella a VERY nice environment to thrive. Of course, I assume you are talking about farenheit, because 325C is VERY hot! 617F!

Actually, if THEY were the only one that got a dish containing the infected produce, or the chef was very careless or used old meat, it IS possible they could be the ONLY affected people. ever hear of typhoid mary? SHE was one such chef! She was famous because she was IMMUNE to the disease, a carrier, and didn't believe anyone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoid_Mary Interesting factoid! She could probably have cooked safely, and NEVER be known by that name, if ONLY she washed her hands!

BTW Typhoid is a type of salmonella!

NEVER go where they are all 3rd world! That is even WORSE! The lousy stuff you are describing is RIFE in the US! It is LAW to wash your hands, etc... Most restaurants have a sign stating employees must wash, etc... A place could get shut down for that garbage. STILL, at the local IN N OUT, a popular fast food chain, in california, I would see people prepare food, mop up, and then prepare MORE food with NO care, not even gloves! EVEN if the mop handle were clean, etc..., a sick person could hold the mop, and another could pick up the disease. Since they handle buns and condiments, all the cooking in the world won't ensure containment.

People have ALSO used wet rags to clean cutting boards. Since that happens most often with sandwich shops, old chicken could have a MINOR amount of bacteria that could grow on the board and be mixed with whatever.

HECK, with all the alergies, it is a miracle that people aren't dying left and right because they will often mix alergens!

Steve