Staphylococcal food poisoning and botulism.

Staphylococcal food poisoning and botulism are caused by the ingestion of food containing exotoxins. Outbreaks of both are still a problem in many countries. This paper attempts to summarize information relating to these illnesses, together with advice on how their incidence may be reduced, or better still prevented. Introduction It is an unfortunate fact that each year a large number of people throughout the world become ill and sometimes die because of illnesses or diseases spread by contaminated food or water. These may vary in severity from an 'upset stomach' to food poisoning and finally to the important water-, milk-or food-borne infections such as tuberculosis, brucel-losis, cholera and typhoid and paratyphoid fevers. Much human suffering is caused and the burden on medical and allied manpower is heavy. Both staphylococcal food poisoning and botulism are examples of intoxication resulting from the in-gestion of food containing exotoxins. Both have a high morbidity rate and for one, botulism, the mortality rate is also often high. In recent years a number of comprehensive reviews on staphylococcal food poisoning and on the staphylococcal enterotoxins