Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-3002/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Amelia McGrew

Regional Extension Agent

Food Safety, Preparation & Preservation

October 12, 2010

Facts About STAPH

So, just what is “STAPH”? Staph, which is also known as Staphylococcus Aureus, is a scary type of bacteria that grows rapidly in food that is held at room temperature from that of which toxins are produced.  The toxin, which is called enterotoxin causes the illness staphylococcal intoxication, which in turn leads to inflammation of the intestinal tract lining. 

How do we get “STAPH”? Staph is everywhere.  Staph is found in the nose, throat, skin, and on the hair of over 50% of the healthy population according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.  The main sources of staph infections are infected wounds, burns, lesions, pimples, boils, and mucus spread by coughs and sneezes from people with a respiratory infection.  This means that a person may show no signs of this bacterium and still be a carrier.  Even droplets of saliva from chewing gum while cooking or unwashed hands after smoking can spread it. 

Staph is not a competitor.  Raw foods usually have several different types of bacteria on them.  Cooking kills most of them, but staph is somewhat different than our typical bacteria.  Staph grows well on cooked foods.  Some of the foods that support its growth are cooked meat, poultry, fish, cream sauces, ham, turkey or potato salad, puddings and cream filled pastries.

Symptoms and Onset Time.  A staph intoxication usually happens somewhere between 1-7 hours.  Symptoms include severe nausea, vomiting, acute abdominal cramps and sometimes diarrhea.  In severe cases, headache, muscle cramping, changes in blood pressure and pulse rate may occur.  Hospitalization may be necessary for dehydration, but recovery is usually within two days.

PREVENTING the risk of staph when handling food.  Wash your hands as often as possible with soap and water, and then following with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  Use gloves to handle ready-to-eat food (like muffins or doughnuts).  Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.  Cover wounds.  Make sure utensils and food preparation surfaces are clean at all times in order to prevent the transfer of bacteria to the food, especially food such as salad which does not require any heating after preparation.

Is Staph infection and MRSA the same thing? Yes…and no.  MRSA is a specific type of staph infection – MRSA stands for Methicillin resistant Staphlococcus aureus.  This specific staph type has developed resistance to an antibiotic which is commonly used to treat skin and tissue infections.  Because of this resistance, MRSA infections are harder to treat.  There are two types of MRSA’s.  Hospital acquired and Community acquired.  MRSA infections were initially limited to hospitals and nursing homes, especially among patients with weakened immune systems.  Since the 1980s community acquired cases and outbreaks also have been reported.  Usually these staph strains that reside on the skin or in the nose are less virulent and can be cured with most antibiotics.

PREVENTING the spread of MRSA.  Wash your hands.  Shower immediately after exercising.  Take special care to treat skin cuts and abrasions with solutions such as hydrogen peroxide and cover these wounds with bandages.  Also, avoid sharing personal items, such as towels and razors; or any item that comes in contact with bare skin.  If you are an athlete, be sure to use some type of barrier (clothing or a towel) when you use shared equipment, such as a weight-training bench.

To request additional information about food safety or hand washing, please contact, Amelia McGrew at 251-574-8445 or Email at mcgreaj@aces.edu

Master Gardener Fall Seminar

The Baldwin County Master Gardeners (BCMG) will present “Exploring Our Gardening Heritage” from 9 am to 4 pm on Thursday, October 21, 2010.  The seminar will be held in Centennial Hall at Faulkner State Community College, 450 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, AL  and is open to anyone interested in gardening.  There will be three guest speakers.  Dr. William Welch, a professor at Texas A&M, will present information on antique roses and heirloom bulbs.  Dr. Clinton Hegwood, Jr. will focus on camellias.  He is the Resident Director and Professor of the Burden Center Research Station in Baton Rouge.   Oliver Washington III, the proprietor of Shore Acres Plant Farm will discuss annuals and perennials suited for our area.

There will be two morning sessions followed by a two-hour lunch break and two afternoon sessions.  Tickets are $15 and are available by sending a check, payable to BCMG, to Jane Wright, 13789 Underwood Road, Summerdale  AL  36580.  Space is limited and tickets are non-refundable.  Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for ticket return or an email address for confirmation.  For more information, contact Laurie Reddinger at 251-928-6966. 

Email address: mcgreaj@aces.edu

Phone number: (251) 574-8445

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.