Staphylococcus Aureus

To date, 21 different staphylococcal enterotoxins have been described (known by letters of the alphabet, A V, although a few letters are missing from the sequence). All are heat stable, water-soluble proteins and retain their activity in the digestive tract after ingestion. Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), either alone, or in combination with other staphylococcal enterotoxins, is the one most frequently found in foods and the most common cause of staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks.