Which organism is associated with bacterial foodborne intoxication?

• A. Staphylococcus aureus
• B. Salmonella
• C. Listeria monocytogenes
• D. Escherichia coli

Answer: (A)

Bacterial foodborne intoxication occurs when a toxin produced in food causes illness after consumption, even if the bacteria aren’t actively growing in the gut. Staphylococcus aureus is the classic example because it can form a preformed enterotoxin in foods that are left at room temperature, and this toxin is heat-stable. Ingesting it leads to rapid onset symptoms like vomiting and abdominal cramps, often within a few hours. The other listed organisms cause illness mainly through infection—bacteria that must be ingested and then proliferate in the gut to produce disease—so their illnesses are driven by the presence of the organism rather than a preformed toxin in the food. Thus, Staphylococcus aureus is associated with foodborne intoxication.