Beef and dressed chickens as sources of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in Nairobi

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolates from beef carcasses, minced beef, and dressed chicken were assayed for production of enterotoxin A, B, C and D using reverse passive agglutination technique. The highest isolation rate was from chickens followed by minced beef. Chickens yielded the highest percentage of enterotoxigenic strains. Staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC) was the most frequently produced type from all the three sources while enterotoxin A ranked second and enterotoxin B third. These data show that chickens and minced beef are potential sources of food poisoning staphylococci in Kenya, and that increased handling of the products increases contamination suggesting that man is the major source.