Prevalence of Enterotoxin A and Enterotoxin B Genes in Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Hospitalized Patients, Medical Personnel, and Kitchen Staff in Two Educational Hospitals, Sari, Iran

Background and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) produces various toxins. One of the most important toxins is enterotoxin. Enterotoxin A and B play a major role in food poisoning. This research was conducted to determine the enterotoxin A and B genes in S. aureus strains. In this study, 223 specimens were collected from the skin and nose of patients, medical personnel and kitchen staff in Imam Khomeini and Bouali Sina hospitals, Sari, Iran. Culture of samples and biochemical tests were used to detect S. aureus. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to detect enterotoxin A and B genes. Out of 223 specimens, 49 (21.97%) were positive for S. aureus, from which 17 (34.7%) isolates were positive for enterotoxin A gene, while none contained enterotoxin B gene. In this study, isolates of S. aureus were positive for presence of enterotoxin A gene. This bacterium has a major role in causing food poisoning, therefore, its prevalence in hospital strains can lead to secondary infections in patients and should be regarded as a serious threat to community health.