Large-Scale Staphylococcus aureus Foodborne Disease Poisoning Outbreak among Primary School Children

A large-scale food poisoning outbreak happened at a school canteen in Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam, 2018, resulting the hospitalization of 352 students with clinical symptoms indicative staphylococcal poisoning. subsequent laboratory investigation detected Staphylococcus aureus two items—deep-fried shrimp and chicken floss—at up to 103 CFU/mL, enterotoxins (SEs) floss ≥0.211 ng SEs/g. S. was also isolated from patients’ vomit stool samples, kitchen workers’ as well frozen meat, but not on hand surfaces, suggesting cause this contamination meat. Molecular characterization revealed strains all samples were closely related; belonged sequence type (ST) ST6 spa t701 carried both sea sec genes. This SE-producing strain resistant penicillin tetracycline, while still susceptible oxacillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, methicillin, vancomycin. Since poisonings are often underreported, our added sparse qualitative quantitative data pathogenic monitoring surveillance providing needed knowledge guide preventative measures for future outbreaks.