[Change in the sensitivity of staphylococci to phages and the possible methodological procedures in their phage...

In a number of pathogenic staphylococci present in a food product that has been subjected to a mild heat treatment changes in the phage pattern were studied. The heat was found to produce in a number of staphylococcal strains a change in the sensitivity to phages, as a result of which phage patterns may assume different forms without losing their pathogenic and enterotoxic properties. This may lead to an erroneous interpretation of the results subsequent to an epidemiological study of staphylococcal intoxications.