Distribution of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Genes and Methicillin-resistant Gene in Staphylococcus aureus Isolates

A total of 71 Staphylococcus aureus isolates associated with food-borne disease, healthy human nasal swabs, food samples, and healthy human feces were examined by PCR for the presence of classical staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes (sea, seb, sec, sed and see), newly identified SE genes (seg, seh and sei), and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)-related genes. Classical and newly identified SE genes were detected in isolates associated with food-borne disease, and some isolates associated with healthy human nasal swabs, food samples, and healthy human feces were shown to have the possibility of causing food-borne disease. Four isolates (three from healthy human nasal swab and one from healthy human feces) harbored the MRSA gene while three had the possibility of transmitting communityacquired MRSA. These results suggest that appropriate sanitary supervision is necessary to prevent contamination and infection with S. aureus. The PCR methods used in the study were useful for understanding the epidemiology and pathogenicity of S. aureus.