General Information:

Staphylococcal toxins are produced by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and are normally acquired through ingestion of improperly handled food. There are several related staphylococcal toxins which cause symptoms usually recognized as "food poisoning." Staphylococcal toxins can also cause illness if inhaled in low doses. The toxin interacts with the individual's immune system to produce a variety of effects. In a biological warfare (BW) situation, it is expected that a toxic cloud of a type B staphylococcal enterotoxin would be released near the target personnel. Symptoms of inhaled SEB differ somewhat from those of "food poisoning. These symptoms are discussed below. The sabotage of food and/or water with SEB thought to be a possibility for terrorist attack

Disinfection of contaminated articles may be accomplished using a 0.05% hypochlorite solution (1 tbps. bleach per gallon of water).

The military chemical protective mask is effective against inhalation of all Biological Warfare Agents. .

Symptoms:

  Symptoms of inhaled SEB would be expected to appear 3- 12 hours after exposure and would consist of sudden onset of a high fever of 103-106 degrees F., chills, headache, muscle aches, a dry cough and possibly an inflammation of the lining of the eyelids. In a few cases there may be difficulty breathing, chest pain and fluid in the lungs. The fever would last 2-5 days The cough may persist up to four weeks. Although SEB is not expected to produce many fatalities, it could incapacitate 80% of personnel in the area of attack. In rare cases, the effect of the toxin may be more severe, leading to shock and death.

If the toxin is swallowed, there may be nausea, vomiting and diarrhea with no symptoms involving the lungs.

Medical Countermeasures:

 No vaccine or antitoxin is available to treat SEB before or after exposure. The treatment for SEB once symptoms appear consists of pain relievers and cough suppressants. Additional drug therapies are under investigation. For severe cases which are expected to be rare, more extensive hospital procedures may be needed such as mechanical breathing and replacement of fluid.