The occurrence of enterotoxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus in foods.

It has generally been accepted that enterotoxin production is confined to coagulase-positive staphylococci, although the isolation of enterotoxigenic coagulase-negative strain has been reported. 1.2.3.4 Coagulase-positive staphylococci which produce enterotoxins have been found in 96.2 percent, 5 92 percent, 6 44 percent, 7 or 95 percent 8 of the strains isolated from food products involved in food poisoning outbreaks. The occurrence of enterotoxigenicity ip. staphylococcal strains isolated from foods not associated with food poisoning has been estimated to be 62.5 percent, 9 24.6 percent, 10 or 47.2 percent 11