The presence of enterotoxic S. aureus in the nasal fossae of hospital food handlers was investigated. Material was collected from the anterior portion of fossae of 34 food handlers in the kitchens of three hospitals in the city of S. Paulo, Brazil. Of these 34 persons, 12 (35.3%) were positive for S. aureus, of these same 12, two (16.7%) showed positive for type C staphylococcal enterotoxin producing strains. Of the 12 strains isolated, nine (75%) could be phagetyped; of the enterotoxic strains, one was lysed by Group III phage; the other was non-typeable.
Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcal food poisoning; Enterotoxins
