Presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Raw Meat in Ağrı, Turkey

Abstract

Background Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most significant food pathogen responsible for intoxications worldwide. 1 Clinically , S. aureus can cause mild superficial skin infections or life-threatening bacteremia and endocarditis, as well as toxin-induced cases such as toxic shock syndrome. 2 S. au-reus produces more than 30 different extracellular components and some S. aureus strains are able to produce staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) in foods and can be the causative agents of staphylococcal food poisonings. 1 The prevalence of S. aureus may range from 1% to 80% in various foods. In addition, it was reported that turkey meat and beef were the most prevalent foods for the incidence of S. aureus. 3 Intestines are an important vehicle of bacteria and as a result during slaughtering and processing, raw meats are