Published Date: 2004-10-06 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Food poisoning, staphylococcal - USA (OH)
Archive Number: 20041006.2743

FOOD POISONING, STAPHYLOCOCCAL - USA (OHIO)
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Mon 4 Oct 2004
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: WHIO-TV [edited]
<http://www.whiotv.com/news/3781980/detail.html>

Officials: bacteria blamed for flu-like symptoms
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Bacteria may be to blame for dozens of people getting sick at a Miami
Valley restaurant. The Miami County Health Department said they have
received 40 complaints so far from people who suffered from severe stomach
pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
On Sat 2 Oct 2004, dispatchers were kept busy, as nearly a dozen people
called for ambulances. Authorities said all of them became ill after eating
at a McDonald's restaurant on Route 36 near Interstate 75 in Piqua.
Investigators said a milkshake machine may be the reason that people became
sick. Authorities said one of the calls came from the grandmother of 2
small children. Another call came from Wal-Mart in Troy, where 2 customers
were found passed out in the bathroom.
A 3rd call came from a man concerned about his wife and son. According to
dispatch tapes, all of the patients ate at the same McDonald's. Piqua's
fire captain contacted local health officials, and they narrowed the cause
to the McDonald's on Route 36.
According to a statement released Mon 4 Oct 2004 by the owner-operator of
the restaurant, there appears to have been an isolated situation related to
the milkshake machine. The statement went on to say the machine was taken
offline, and the restaurant stopped all sales of ice cream, shakes, and
sundaes.
Officials at the Upper Valley Medical Center said they have treated 23
people. They identified the culprit as staphylococcus bacteria, which is
very common. However, Piqua's health officials are not drawing any final
conclusions. Health officials said there is no antimicrobial treatment for
the illness. Patients are told to just ride the symptoms out, which
typically subside in 12 to 16 hours.
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[In the case of an illness with an incubation period of less than 12 hours
that is associated with vomiting and sometimes diarrhea, and without
prominent fever, staphylococcal food poisoning, due to ingestion of
preformed staphylococcal enterotoxin, is most likely. As stated in the
posting, antimicrobial therapy is not effective, because the toxin is
ingested preformed without necessarily viable staphylococci.
See the reference below (Food poisoning, birthday guests - USA (FL)
20040922.2619) for a useful extract from the USA Food and Drug
Administration's Bad Bug Book: <http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap3.html>. -
Mod.LL]

See Also

Food poisoning, birthday guests - USA (FL) 20040922.2619
2003
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Gastroenteritis, staphylococcal - China (Guangzhou)(02) 20031118.2866
Gastroenteritis, staphylococcal - China (Guangzhou) 20031117.2854
Viral gastroenteritis update 2003 (24) 20031112.2801
2000
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Food poisoning, skim milk increases risk - UK 20000929.1684
Food poisoning, milk - Japan (05) 20000821.1393
1998
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Food poisoning, staphylococcal - USA (Texas) 19980104.0026
...................ll/msp/sh

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