What should you know about Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning?

Staphylococcus aureus can contaminate food when it is handled and then kept under conditions that allow toxin to build up. The illness is caused by toxin, so symptoms may begin abruptly after the meal. A person may develop nausea, repeated vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea; fever is not always prominent.

This is one form of Food Poisoning. The illness often settles as the body clears the toxin, but repeated vomiting or diarrhoea can remove water and salts faster than they are replaced. Young children, older adults, pregnant people and those with long-term illness can become dehydrated more quickly.

Take small, frequent sips of water or an Oral Rehydration Therapy solution. If vomiting interrupts drinking, pause briefly and restart with smaller sips. Eat light foods when you can, rest, wash hands carefully and avoid preparing food for other people while unwell. Do not use leftover antibiotics; they do not remove toxin already in food. A clinician can decide whether assessment, testing or IV Fluid Therapy is needed.

Seek urgent care if you cannot keep fluids down, pass very little urine, feel faint or confused, have blood in vomit or stool, severe abdominal pain, breathing difficulty, or signs of severe dehydration. Contact a clinician for persistent symptoms, high fever, or illness in a vulnerable person. Keep details of foods eaten and when symptoms began if an assessment is needed.

Ask how much fluid to take, whether anti-vomiting treatment is suitable, which dehydration signs matter for you, and whether anyone else who shared the food should seek advice.