Food poisoning by Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus: report of an outbreak investigation

Abstract

This work aimed to describe an investigation of a food poisoning outbreak at an event held in the municipality of Campinas/SP, assessing the possible causes and identifying the etiological agents. To that end, documents used in the epidemiological (interview with guests), sanitary (health inspection script based on current legislation) and laboratory investigations (food and clinical material analysis from three patients) were analyzed.  The epidemiological investigation has shown that it is food poisoning, while the sanitary investigation has revealed a number of irregularities in the food-producing company, such as lack of an operating license, exposure of food to inadequate temperatures and unsatisfactory environmental hygienic conditions, the latter being conditions that favor and facilitate the multiplication of pathogens.  The laboratory investigation confirmed the bacterial agents suspected of causing the outbreak (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) stemming from samples of leftover meat sfiha and vegetable pie, supporting the suspicions obtained in health and epidemiological investigations. The success of this investigation was based on the integrated action of different official specialties, in a mutual effort to elucidate the causes of the occurrence and etiological confirmation, subsidizing the political actions of prevention of food-borne diseases.