Toxigenicity of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from northern Palestine

ABSTRACT

A total of 68 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from different human clinical samples in the 'North of Palestine were examined to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin [SE] genes A [sea], B [seb], C [sec], D [sed] E [see]. Of the total isolates examined, 41.2% [28/68] were enterotoxigenic S aureus. Twelve strains [42.9%] of enterotoxigenic S aureus harbored sea-gene, ten strains [35.7%] were carried see gene, six strains [21.4%] were positive for sec-gene. None of these enterotoxigenic S aureus isolates harbored more than one of toxin genes. The presence of these toxin genes and other genes not be detected here might play a role in process of pathogenesis of S aureus disease other than food poisoning but this cannot be substantiated by the results of the present study